Senate Bill No. 429, also known as Public Act No. 26-88, amends Section 17b-273 of the general statutes regarding Medicaid reimbursement for emergency medical transportation. The bill mandates that, effective July 1, 2026, the Commissioner of Social Services will revise the payment methodology for ambulance services under the Medicaid program to implement a relative value unit system, similar to that used in the Medicare program. This system will establish a base rate for basic life support nonemergency transport and apply relative value units to various types of ambulance services, including emergency transports and paramedic intercept services.

Additionally, the bill introduces new provisions for calculating out-of-district mileage for ambulance services reimbursed under the state medical assistance program. Starting July 1, 2026, the mileage will be based on the distance traveled by the ambulance with the patient onboard, rounded to the nearest one-tenth of a mile. Ambulance service providers are required to document this mileage using verifiable methods, such as GPS data or mapping programs, and maintain records as part of the patient care documentation, including trip reports with patient details. The previous language in Section 17b-273 is repealed and replaced with these new stipulations.

Statutes affected:
Raised Bill:
HS Joint Favorable:
File No. 311:
Public Act No. 26-88: