HARRISBURG, Pa. — A new Pennsylvania law provides reimbursement for EMS calls that did not require transport.
ABC27 reported that Act 103 of 2018 requires insurance companies and Medicaid to reimburse EMS agencies for calls where the EMS provider treated the patient, but did not transport them.
The new law says that in order for the reimbursement to be required, the ambulance must have been dispatched by a county 911 center, but gives EMS providers the option to treat patients at home.
“If there is something we can do on the scene to fix that and prevent them from going to the ER and running up all those costs, we can do that and save the patient money,” Cumberland Goodwill EMS Asst. Chief Nathan Harig said.
Harig added that the law is a win-win for both patients and first responders. He said a fee structure will be developed once the rules and regulations are in place.