[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8977 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8977

To amend title XI of the Social Security Act to require the Center for 
Medicare and Medicaid Innovation to test an emergency medical services 
          treatment-in-place model under the Medicare program.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 10, 2024

Mr. Carey (for himself, Mr. Doggett, Mrs. Miller of West Virginia, Mrs. 
    Dingell, and Mr. Ryan) introduced the following bill; which was 
 referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to 
   the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently 
   determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 
 provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend title XI of the Social Security Act to require the Center for 
Medicare and Medicaid Innovation to test an emergency medical services 
          treatment-in-place model under the Medicare program.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Improving Access to Emergency 
Medical Services Act of 2024''.

SEC. 2. REQUIRING THE CENTER FOR MEDICARE AND MEDICAID INNOVATION TO 
              TEST AN EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES TREATMENT-IN-PLACE 
              MODEL UNDER THE MEDICARE PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--Section 1115A of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1315a) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (b)(2)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (A), in the third sentence, by 
                inserting ``, and shall include the model described in 
                subparagraph (B)(xxviii)'' before the period at the 
                end; and
                    (B) in subparagraph (B), by adding at the end the 
                following new clause:
                            ``(xxviii) The Emergency Medical Services 
                        Treatment-in-Place Model described in 
                        subsection (h).''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(h) Emergency Medical Services Treatment-in-Place Model.--
            ``(1) In general.--For purposes of subsection 
        (b)(2)(B)(xxviii), the Emergency Medical Services Treatment-in-
        Place Model described in this subsection is a model under which 
        payment is made under part B of title XVIII for treatment 
        services furnished to an individual enrolled under such part by 
        a provider or supplier of ground ambulance services (as 
        described in section 1834(l)) when such services--
                    ``(A) are not associated with a corresponding 
                transport payable under such section;
                    ``(B) are so furnished in response to an emergency 
                medical call (as specified by the Secretary) made with 
                respect to such individual; and
                    ``(C) are so furnished in accordance with State and 
                local protocols (which may include online medical 
                direction).
            ``(2) Payment.--The Secretary shall set payment rates for 
        services furnished under the model described in paragraph (1) 
        in a manner that aligns such payments with the payments that 
        would have been made for such services had such services 
        resulted in a transport payable under section 1834(l).
            ``(3) Duration.--The model described in paragraph (1) shall 
        be carried out for a period of 5 years.''.
    (b) Report.--Not later than 4 years after the date on which the 
Emergency Medical Services Treatment-in-Place Model (as described in 
section 1115A(h) of the Social Security Act, as added by subsection 
(a)) is implemented, the Comptroller General of the United States shall 
submit to the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Finance of the Senate a report 
that, taking into account stakeholder input--
            (1) analyzes various aspects of Medicare beneficiaries' 
        access to emergency medical services, including an evaluation 
        of the impact of such model on beneficiary outcomes, resource 
        utilization, and overall health care system efficiency;
            (2) compares beneficiary outcomes under such model with 
        beneficiary outcomes using traditional emergency 
        transportation;
            (3) assesses the impact of regional variations and 
        demographics on beneficiary access to emergency medical 
        services;
            (4) identifies best practices and potential challenges in 
        implementing such model; and
            (5) includes recommendations for improving emergency 
        medical services.
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