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Senate committee rolls 'Save the Rural Ambulance Act' for further reconciliation of reimbursement proposals
Summary
Senate Bill 2-10, aimed at increasing TennCare reimbursements to sustain rural ambulance services, was rolled one week after lawmakers said related bills need to be reconciled.
Senate Bill 2-10, the "Save the Rural Ambulance Act," which sponsor Senator Jackson described as intended to prevent failure of rural emergency medical services by updating TennCare ambulance reimbursement, was rolled to next week for further work.
Senator Jackson told the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee that TennCare ambulance reimbursement rates were last adjusted in 2011 and that the average cost of an ambulance transport was about $1,500, while the current TennCare reimbursement was around $200, leaving a substantial shortfall. "This act is designed not to generate profit for the rural ambulance services, but to allow them to at least break even," he said.
Committee members noted the session included multiple bills that affect ambulance reimbursement. Chairman Yeager and other members asked how the Save the Rural Ambulance Act would reconcile with another pending bill that would raise nonemergency ground transport to 100% of the Medicare rate and with a separate finance committee measure involving an annual ambulance assessment. To allow staff and sponsors time to align the measures, the sponsor agreed to roll the bill one week. The clerk recorded the item as "rolled one week."
