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EMS leaders warn county services are closing; DMS says House Bill 2 does not change Medicaid EMS payments as drafted
Summary
Committee members said a Magoffin County EMS went out of business and warned two more counties may follow; DMS officials said HB2 as drafted contains no Medicaid payment changes for EMS and urged providers to rebill denied claims and consider treat‑no‑transport codes.
Committee members reported an immediate local impact: the EMS provider for Magoffin County went out of business that morning and neighboring counties had created a temporary coverage arrangement. "McGaughton County EMS went out of business at 8AM this morning," the chair said, and members worried the arrangement patched coverage only temporarily.
Paul, a committee member, warned that changes narrowing Medicaid eligibility that may be proposed in House Bill 2 could have downstream effects on EMS revenue if patients lose coverage and shift to self‑pay: "If that kicks them into self pay, it basically kicks them into no pay," Paul said, urging committee attention to eligibility provisions even if HB2 does not directly change EMS payment rates.
Justin Daringer of the Department for Medicaid Services responded that HB2 is in the legislative process and "as of this time, nothing in the bill shows any changes to, payment for, EMS providers." Daringer also urged providers to check for and rebill technical denials that can leave substantial dollars on the table and said DMS has attempted outreach to the Magoffin/McGoughlin County provider.
Members discussed a separate commercial reimbursement proposal intended to require counties to set emergency ambulance rates that insurers would pay, preventing balance billing and improving commercial reimbursement. Paul explained the policy options — county‑set rates, a Medicare‑multiplier fallback, or straight billed charges — and noted practical concerns about counties setting a single rate where multiple services operate in the same county.
Committee members asked DMS for aggregated data on coding and billing compliance. "If you can't give us who hasn't done it, maybe just give her a percentage of compliant services," one member suggested; Daringer agreed to explore what aggregated data DMS could share.
The committee set its next meeting for April 27 and adjourned after routine procedural motions.
