Senate Bill 179 (sSB179 File No. 17) proposes amendments to existing laws to update the rate schedules for licensed ambulance services and paramedic intercept services, excluding emergency air transport services and mobile integrated health care programs. The bill stipulates that current rates will remain until a new schedule is established by the commissioner and allows for rate increases in line with the Medical Care Services Consumer Price Index to be automatically approved unless they exceed the index or the provider does not accept the state-wide rate schedule. It also requires the commissioner to issue rate schedules annually and mandates that ambulance services provide detailed financial and operational information for rate increase requests above the Consumer Price Index. The bill amends section 38a-498 of the general statutes to ensure individual health insurance policies cover medically necessary conveyance and treatment by licensed and certified ambulance and paramedic intercept services according to the commissioner's rate schedule, effective January 1, 2025.

The bill also includes provisions for group health insurance policies to cover medically necessary ambulance and paramedic intercept services according to the rate schedule issued by the Commissioner of Public Health. It removes the term "maximum allowable" and replaces it with "rate schedule" for clarity. The bill outlines the process for direct payment to service providers and specifies that the hospital policy shall be primary in cases where a person is covered by more than one policy. The effective dates for the changes are July 1, 2024, for section 19a-177(9) and January 1, 2025, for sections 38a-498 and 38a-525. The bill may result in potential costs or savings for the state and municipalities and expands the mandate for medically necessary ambulance services to include paramedic intercept services, potentially affecting health plans costs. The bill passed the Public Health Committee with a vote of 35 to 2 on March 4, 2024.

Statutes affected:
PH Joint Favorable Substitute:
File No. 17: