In November 1973, President Gerald Ford announced that November 3 – 10, 1974 would be the first “National Emergency Medical Services Week.” The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) played a critical role when EMS Week was established and continues to lead EMS Week each year in partnership with the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT).

CMS has expanded its Accelerated and Advance Payment Program for the duration of the public health emergency, authorizing Medicare contractors the ability to provide accelerated or advance payments. 

The Pennsylvania EMS Provider Foundation has announced its annual call for grant applications. The grant will be awarded to EMT(s) who would like to further their education and become a Paramedic. The deadline for submitting applications is end-of-business day, February 16, 2020.

On November 8, 2019, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the 2020 premiums, deductibles, and coinsurance amounts for the Medicare Part A and Part B programs.

We'll soon be on our way to Fort Worth, TX, for The Texas EMS Conference , and we hope to see you there!

Here are the details for the conference.

Congresswoman Terri Sewell (D-AL) and Congressman Devin Nunes (R-CA) introduced the Medicare Ambulance Access, Fraud Prevention, and Reform Act of 2019 (H.R. 4938). Congressmen Peter Welch, (D-VT), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), and Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) are original cosponsors of the legislation. Thank you to the bill sponsors for their continued support! 

We'll soon be on our way to Norfolk, VA for The 40th Annual Virginia EMS Symposium, and we hope to see you there!

CMS has announced the 2020 Ambulance Inflation Factor (AIF) for determining the payment limit for ambulance services. The AIF for CY 2020 is 0.9 percent. Please make sure your billing staff is aware of this change.

We'll soon be on our way to Hershey, PA, for The abc^360® National Conference on Ambulance Revenue Cycle Management and Compliance, and we hope to see you there!

We'll soon be on our way to Pocono Manor, PA, for the 2019 Code EMS Conference, and we hope to see you there!