EMS Companies Get A New Lifeline

Emergency medical services (EMS) companies across the Commonwealth will see a significant and much-needed boost in reimbursement rates under legislation that has now been signed into law.

Act 15 of 2023 ties the state’s Medicaid reimbursement rates to federal Medicare rates, and pays whichever amount is higher for services such as basic life support and advanced life support ambulance trips.

The new law also ensures EMS agencies are reimbursed by Medicaid for 100% of the miles they travel with a patient on board receiving care or transport, finally removing the current exemption for the first 20 miles traveled.

Medicare currently reimburses at a rate of more than $8 per mile in both urban and rural areas and $13 for the first 17 miles in super rural areas. Medicaid reimburses at a rate of $4 per mile after the first 20 miles.

The increased reimbursement takes effect Jan. 1, 2024.