MN HF3691

Medical assistance covers ambulance services including medically necessary transfers between hospitals to maintain capacity, with hospitals required to document lack of capacity and medical necessity.

Ambulance service payment rates are increased by five percent for providers located outside metropolitan counties (Minneapolis-St. Paul area) and outside Duluth, Mankato, Moorhead, St. Cloud, and Rochester, or within municipalities with populations under 1,000.

Managed care plans and county-based purchasing plans must reimburse ambulance providers at rates at least equal to fee-for-service rates, subject to federal approval.

$31,500,000 from the general fund is appropriated to the Emergency Medical Services Regulatory Board for one-time lump sum payments of $35,000 per in-service ambulance to licensed ambulance services.

Provisions take effect the day following final enactment, except managed care reimbursement requirements which are contingent on federal approval.