Category: TASA News

February 10, 2023

MTEMSDA Leadership Summit We are excited to share this opportunity for you to learn from various leaders during this wonderful event. During this one-day leadership conference, each speaker will share vital information that will challenge you to create positive change. This conference is intended for all levels of providers and leaders that want to strengthen their skills in communication, problem-solving, time management, prioritizing, and much more. This will be a great opportunity to learn from leaders in EMS and will benefit not only current supervisors but also aspiring leaders/supervisors. Registration Link: https://mtemsda.org/events/2023-leadership-conference/ Course Fee: $10.00 Date: February 10, 2023 Time: 08:00 till 16:30 Event Location: Williamson County Public Safety Center – 304 Beasley Dr, Franklin, TN 37064 Agenda (download) Friday, February 10, 2023 07:00 – 07:45 Registration 07:45 – 08:00 Welcome 08:00 – 08:50 Michael Wallace, EMS Director, Williamson County EMS Great by Choice 08:50 – 09:45 Mark King, Assistant EMS Director, Williamson County EMS HR Challenges 09:45 – 10:00 BREAK 10:00 – 12:00 Jason Denton, Attorney RMA) EMS Legal Issues and Discussion Brian Newberry, EMS Chief, Wilson County EMA HIPAA Awareness and Concerns 12:00 – 12:45 LUNCH (Chic-Fil-A) 12:45 – 13:15 Brandon Ward, Director, TN Office of EMS TN EMS Updates 13:15 – 14:10 Greg Miller, EMS Chief, Sumner County EMS Leadership Challenges and how they can stifle your mission 14:10 – 14:25 BREAK 1425 – 1520 Dr. McKinney and Dr. Brywczynski Leadership Conversations with EMS Medical Directors 1520 – 1620 Discussion Panel and Q&A If you have questions, write them down so we can talk about them. 1620 – 1630 Wrap Up Refreshments and lunch are provided with the course fee

TASA is accepting nominations for Vice President and East Tennessee Grand until February 8th, 2023.

Vice President from Middle TN

Nominations for this position must be of persons from current TASA membership services within the Middle TN Grand Division

East Tennessee Grand

Nominations for this position must be of persons from current TASA membership services within the East TN Grand Division

Elections for these positions will be held at the 2023 Mid-Winter Conference on February 22 & 23, 2023. Results will be announced at the general membership annual meeting at the same location on February 23 at or around noon EST.

Law Extends Add-Ons, Delays PAYGO Cuts, and Continues Telehealth Waivers Adds-Ons Extended  The President just signed into law the 2023 Omnibus spending bill, extending the 2% urban, 3% rural and 22.6% super rural Medicare payment add-ons for ground ambulance services through December 31, 2024.    IMPORTANT NOTE: The current Public Use File posted on the CMS ambulance website has not yet been updated to reflect the urban, rural, and super-rural add-on extensions (the file is dated 11/23/2022, prior to the add-ons being included).  We strongly encourage EMS agencies and billing companies to ensure their Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) has implemented the updated rates – including the add-ons – before submitting claims for dates of service (DOS) 1/1/2023 or after.  There have been issues in the past where MACs paid at the incorrect rates and then the MACs took months to correct the improper payments.  It is also possible that CMS – in the next few days – may instruct MACs to hold off paying ambulance claims with DOS in 2023 until the rates have been updated to avoid incorrect payments.   Stay tuned for updates. Medicare 4% PAYGO Cuts Delayed   The Act also delays, until 2025, a 4% Medicare cut under the Statutory Pay-As-You -Go Act of 2010 (PAYGO).  The 4% cut was set to go into effect on January 1, 2023.  Telehealth Waivers Extended   The Act also extends – until December 31, 2024 – many of the telehealth reimbursement waivers/flexibilities enacted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Under current law, many of these flexibilities were set to expire 151 days after the end of the COVID-19 PHE. Most importantly for EMS, the telehealth flexibilities permit any site (including a patient’s home or a scene of an incident) to be a telehealth origination site for the service.  Prior to the waiver, telehealth services generally had to originate in a rural area, and the patient had to connect from an approved origination site – such as a physician’s office, hospital, or clinic.  While there is no direct Medicare reimbursement for telehealth for EMS right now, EMS can originate telehealth consultations for practitioners in the field and contract with eligible practitioners for a portion of the telehealth consultation fee paid to the practitioner. PWW is Here to Help Click Here to Ask Your Questions

January TASA Board meeting is rescheduled for Thursday, January 12th, 2023 at 1000 am Central Time via ZOOM.

Congress just passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, extending the 2% urban, 3% rural and 22.6% super rural Medicare add-ons for ground ambulance services.  The Medicare ground ambulance add-ons were set to expire on December 31, 2022, and now they will continue through December 31, 2024, once President Biden signs the Act.   What About Other Cuts?    The Act also delays a 4% Medicare “PAYGO” cut that was set to go into effect at the end of 2022.  The PAYGO cut is delayed until 2025.  However, the 2% across the board Medicare sequestration cuts –  that have been in effect since 2013 (with a brief suspension during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency) – have been extended through the December 1, 2032. What’s Next? Stay tuned as PWW monitors changes currently affecting the EMS Industry. Click Here to Ask Your QuestionsJoin Us In Spring 2023 This Spring, PWW covers everything that’s in store for 2023 and we have solutions for your agency to survive if the Federal No Surprises Act comes to ground ambulance. Spring 2023 Dates and Locations:Las Vegas – March 5-9, 2023 Clearwater Beach – June 4-8, 2023Las Vegas Early Bird Ends: January 31, 2023 Clearwater Beach Early Bird Ends: May 13, 2023Click Here to Register

ACM, a Savvik Partner, has asked us to share this information with TN EMS services. A portion of ACM’s recovery will go back TASA to serve you better.

Your fleet is critical to the communities you serve. That’s why ACM is here to help you recover the maximum amount when one of your vehicles is damaged by another party, while getting you back on the road faster.

We can recover Loss of Use for fleet downtime, at no cost to you. ACM has a dedicated team with in-depth knowledge of specialty vehicles ready to fight for you. We will also pursue Diminution of Value, which is the loss of market value to your fleet vehicle.

Strength in numbers. 220,000+ claims settled, over $70 million recovered annually for our clients, 25 years’ experience negotiating with insurance companies.

When liability is in question, ACM will pursue multiple avenues to find sufficient evidence to support your claim, sometimes overturning liability decisions made by insurance or initial police reports. Legal resources can be obtained on your behalf when necessary for dispute resolution.

Eligible Fleet Vehicles Include: Fire engines, police cars, ambulances, public works, utilities, solid waste, buses, street sweepers, vehicles used by planning staff and more.

These reimbursement proceeds are legitimately owed taxpayer dollars that your citizens deserve. Visit ACM at https://www.altclaim.com/

WRITTEN BY AAA STAFF ON NOVEMBER 16, 2022. POSTED IN COST DATA COLLECTION, COST SURVEY, REGULATORY

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released the ground ambulance suppliers and providers selected for Years 3 and 4 of the Medicare ground ambulance data collection system.  The list of the selected providers and suppliers is available on the CMS website.  These providers and suppliers will be asked to collect data during their budget year starting in 2023 and to report the data within five months of the close of that year.

Providers and suppliers who are selected should respond to the notification letter sent by Medicare Administrative Contractors (MAC).  Organizations may select a calendar year or fiscal year start date for the data collection period.  Data will be submitted for a continuous 12-month period using the Medicare Ground Ambulance Data Collection Instrument: English (PDF).

The AAA continues to provide educational support for ground ambulance services to help them collect and report these data.  In addition to in-person sessions, the AAA offers webinars on demand.

It is important that all ground ambulance providers and suppliers collect and report data through this program.  The Congress intends to use the information to help reform Medicare ambulance fee schedule.

Tennessee Providers Selected: Year 1 – 4

Thursday, November 17th, 2022

1300-1500 Central Time