H.R. 9970: Reimbursing Emergency Services for Critical Urgent Encounters Act of 2026

This bill would change how Medicare pays for ambulance services, including both ground ambulances and air ambulances.

What the bill does

Starting in 2028, Medicare would be required to update its ambulance payment rates using more recent cost and service data. The goal is to better match payments with the actual costs of providing ambulance care, including:

• labor costs
• uncompensated care
• other expenses and resources used to provide services

The bill also says that Medicare should review and adjust the fee schedule on a regular basis instead of leaving rates unchanged for long periods.

How payment updates would work

• 2028: Medicare would make an initial update to ambulance payment amounts based on the most recently available data.
• 2029 and later: In years that are not designated as special review years, payment amounts would increase based on inflation, using the Consumer Price Index for urban consumers.
• 2031 and every third year after that: Medicare would conduct a deeper, data-based review and make broader adjustments to the payment formula.

The bill directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to review things like:

• relative value units
• conversion factors
• air ambulance base rates
• mileage rates

These are the pieces used to calculate Medicare ambulance payments.

Air ambulance reporting changes

The bill would also expand data-reporting requirements to include air ambulance providers and suppliers. It would:

• require air ambulance providers to submit certain information periodically, at least once every three years
• allow Medicare to use a single reporting system for both ground and air ambulance data if appropriate
• align reporting years for air and ground ambulance providers as much as practicable

If an air ambulance provider is required to report but does not submit enough information, Medicare could apply certain payment consequences or make related determinations under the reporting rules.

Further review and recommendations

By the end of 2028, the Secretary would need to convene experts and stakeholders to review the ambulance fee schedule and payment adequacy. By July 1, 2029, that group would submit recommendations to the Secretary and Congress on possible changes to improve how ambulance services are valued and paid under Medicare.

Relevant Companies

• ACHC — Acadia Healthcare? Not directly relevant here.

None found