New Medicaid reimbursement rates take effect July 1

By JOHN HULTGREN
Kentucky EMS Connection

LOUISVILLE — Medicaid has announced new ambulance reimbursement rates that will take effect on July 1 and include approximately $2 million in new funding for ambulance providers.

The new rates are:

• ALS reimbursement increases from $85.00 to $100.00

• BLS-Emergency increases from $65.00 t0 $75.00

• Non-emergency stretcher reimbursement increases from $40.00 t0 $50.00

• Mileage reimbursement in all categories will be increased by $0.50 per mile.

Medicaid said that the new rates will be paid prior to the adoption of the new fee schedule regulation, which could take as long as six to eight months.

The new rates were announced after Medicaid met with Kentucky Ambulance Providers Association representatives a week earlier in Frankfort. The KAPA representatives were Sherman Hockenbury, Barry Brown, and Mike Swift.

"The meeting was very cordial and the Medicaid staff presented us with some figures," said Swift. "After their presentation, it was immediately obvious to us that their figures were in error and when we advised them they told us they would refigure and get back with Sherman."

The rates were revised a week later.

Hockenbury told Medicaid that although KAPA was very appreciative of the increase, Medicaid's own figures demonstrated how far behind the Medicaid program is in reimbursement to ambulance providers and urged them to look at ways to fund additional increases for the next budget.

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