Bill > HB152

This bill creates a new section in Kentucky law to establish a Medicaid supplemental payment program specifically for public ground ambulance providers, defined as ambulance services owned or operated by local government entities. The Department for Medicaid Services will be required to submit a Medicaid preprint (a formal request) to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) seeking authorization to create a state-directed payment program effective January 1, 2026. If approved, the department will establish a cost-based payment methodology using cost reports to calculate payments, with participating ambulance providers covering the state match funds through intergovernmental transfers. To be eligible for these supplemental payments, ambulance providers must have a valid Medicaid provider agreement, submit annual cost reports, and provide emergency medical transportation to Medicaid beneficiaries. The program will be separate from existing assessment and directed payment programs, and providers will share an annual $200,000 administrative fee based on their proportion of qualifying ambulance runs. The funding sources for these transfers must be separate from the state general fund and comply with CMS requirements, ensuring that the supplemental payments are financially sustainable and administratively sound.

Budget and Finance, Health and Social Services, Military Affairs and Security

https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/25RS/hb152.html