Bill > S2037

This bill, the Protecting Access to Ground Ambulance Medical Services Act of 2021, aims to strengthen ambulance services provided under Medicare Part B. Key provisions include: 1. Extending the current payment adjustments for ground ambulance services from 2023 to 2028, ensuring continued support for these critical services. 2. Establishing an exception that allows rural and qualified rural areas with 1,000 or fewer individuals per square mile to retain their previous designated status, even if they would otherwise no longer qualify. This helps protect access to ambulance services in sparsely populated regions. 3. Creating an administrative appeals process for ambulance service providers and suppliers to seek reconsideration of changes to a ZIP code's rural or qualified rural area designation during the first 12 months after the change is finalized. This allows for challenging decisions that could impact access to these services. Overall, the bill seeks to safeguard patient access to high-quality ground ambulance services, particularly in rural and low-population density areas, by extending existing payment adjustments and providing additional protections.