Committee hears bill to assess ambulance providers to fund Medicaid reimbursement supplements

Representative Batri opened the committee hearing on House Bill 56, a bill proposing a statewide ambulance provider assessment to secure federal matching funds and create a Medicaid supplemental payment program for ambulance providers.

Under the proposal, ambulance providers — excluding entities that exclusively provide air ambulance or public ambulance providers — would pay an assessment equal to 5.75% of their net operating revenue (defined in the bill as gross revenue less bad debt, charity care, discounts and non-patient-service revenue). Collections would be deposited into an Ambulance Medicaid Reimbursement Special Revenue Account, which would receive the provider assessments and federal match; the account would be…