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Ambulance director: GEMT approval will increase Medicaid reimbursement; new transfer protocol to reduce unnecessary emergent runs
Summary
Jefferson County’s ambulance director told supervisors the county secured GEMT approval that will begin paying additional funds per Medicaid transport starting July 1; the director also described a new transfer-notification process with the hospital and discussed using a wheelchair/minivan for non-emergent transfers to reduce costs.
The ambulance director (Speaker 7) told the Jefferson County Board of Supervisors Feb. 24 that the county was approved for GEMT (Ground Emergency Medical Transportation) and related set-off programs, and that additional payments tied to Medicaid transports will begin July 1.
Speaker 7 said the program will provide additional reimbursement (the director estimated roughly $880 per transported Medicaid patient based on last year’s call volume calculations), paid quarterly by state administrators rather than monthly. The funding estimate is based on prior-year call volume and an administrative calculation; the director noted the county submitted last fiscal year’s data and payments will begin in the next fiscal year.
The director also described a new transfer-notification procedure agreed with the hospital (JCHC) that clarifies when dispatch should be called and when ambulance team leaders should seek additional information before dispatching. For non-emergent transfers the county may call hospitals for more detail and, where appropriate, use a wheelchair/minivan option to lower personnel and fuel costs rather than dispatching a medic crew.
Supervisors asked how much patient information hospitals must provide. The director said they need basic location in the facility, destination, diagnosis and equipment needs (for example, ventilation) to select appropriate crews. The board did not adopt policy changes at the meeting but left operational discretion to EMS leadership and requested continued coordination with hospital partners.
Next steps: EMS leadership will implement the revised transfer-notification procedure, track GEMT reimbursement payments beginning July 1, and report outcomes to the board at future meetings.
