The Health Care Quality and Choice Act of 1999 is the first and only comprehensive managed care reform legislation introduced in the House that includes ambulance services in its emergency care section.

"To their credit, Representatives Coburn and Shadegg recognize that emergency ambulance services can be the single most critical response in an emergency medical situation," said President Meijer. "When time is precious, delays caused by doubts about whether an ambulance will be reimbursed can be life-threatening. The Coburn/Shadegg bill would help remove that threat."

The AAA also commended Representative Fred Upton (R-MI) for leading the fight on this issue in the House. His legislation, H.R. 1777, the Emergency Ambulances Services Access Assurance Act of 1999, provided the basis for the provision in the Coburn/Shadegg bill. Rep. Upton's bill has bi-partisan support from 36 Members of the House. It is also supported by the American College of Emergency Physicians, Kaiser Permanente, National Association of EMS Physicians and the Service Employees International Union.

"Rep. Upton recognized early on the danger in omitting emergency ambulance services from managed care reform legislation," Meijer said. "His efforts were clearly instrumental in ensuring that this important coverage is in the Coburn/Shadegg bill."

The recently passed Senate version of the Patients' Bill of Rights did include coverage for emergency ambulances services.

The American Ambulance Association (www.the-aaa.org) is headquartered in Washington, DC, and represents more than 750 ambulance operations providing emergency and non-emergency medical transportation services across the United States. Founded in 1979, the AAA provides information to legislators, regulators, emergency physicians, educators, the media and the general public on pre-hospital care and medical transportation issues.