DENVER — Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed an EMS reform law that allows Colorado Medicaid to reimburse EMS agencies for care provided without transporting patients to a hospital.
The Emergency Medical Services Association of Colorado said in a press release that the change covers treatment in place, telemedicine-supported care and transport to alternative destinations when clinically appropriate. Currently, EMS agencies are generally reimbursed only when a patient is taken to a hospital emergency department.
| MORE: Treatment-in-place billing
Colorado’s HB26-1069 modernizes EMS reimbursement by allowing ambulance agencies to be paid for appropriate care delivered outside a hospital emergency department. Supporters say the change could expand treatment options for patients while helping sustain EMS services across the state.
“This legislation fundamentally changes how Colorado views emergency medical services,” EMSAC President Tom Anderson said. “For decades, EMS agencies have been treated primarily as transportation services despite delivering increasingly sophisticated medical care. HB26-1069 recognizes EMS for what it truly is, a vital part of Colorado’s healthcare system. Patients will receive the right care, at the right time, in the right place, while EMS agencies gain a sustainable reimbursement pathway for services they are already providing every day.”
The legislation is expected to improve patient outcomes, reduce unnecessary emergency department use and save the state nearly $5 million annually, while lowering patient costs and creating new revenue options for EMS agencies.
EMSAC said more work remains because HB26-1069 applies only to Medicaid patients. The association plans to pursue 2027 legislation requiring state-regulated commercial insurers to reimburse EMS agencies for treatment in place and other community-based EMS services.
