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| TENNESSEE AMBULANCE SERVICE ASSOCIATION |
| MEETING REPORT | RURAL HEALTH TRANSFORMATION GRANT – AMBULANCE FUNDING |
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BOTTOM LINE
Every one of Tennessee's 89 rural counties has $305,461 on the table for one ambulance and one powerlift system. Nothing else. No stretchers, no monitors, no splitting the money across two trucks. The contract template is identical statewide, and reimbursement only covers documented spend up to the cap. The big open questions all sit with CMS, and the state expects clarified answers at a mid-July webinar.
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WHAT'S CONFIRMED
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Scope is one ambulance plus powerlift per rural county. Durable equipment (stretcher, cardiac monitor, supplies) is excluded, and vendors can't bundle it into the reimbursable purchase. |
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Counties that don't need a lift can order without one. But excess funds can't be kept. Reimbursement equals actual spend. |
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All 89 rural counties are eligible. Municipalities and the six large metros are not. |
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The state retains a security interest in the vehicle for the contract term. No sale or trade until the term ends. |
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Quarterly transport count and mileage reporting runs through September 30, 2041. The state office will supply most of that data (mileage, transports, permit status, in-service date). No reporting is expected while the truck is on order. |
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PENDING CMS GUIDANCE
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Prepayment and invoice-based reimbursement. The state hopes to reimburse off invoice before delivery, but CMS hasn't signed off. |
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Whether the quote-and-approval-in-advance path is the default or must be requested. |
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Whether reimbursement keys to invoice date, payment date, or delivery. |
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Application deadline. The meeting referenced both September 30 and end of October 2027. A single authoritative timeline is coming. |
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Transfer rules for counties that contract 9-1-1 service to a non-governmental provider. Clarification expected next week. |
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Documentation expectations where the county runs EMS with no private provider. |
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TIMELINE RISK
Manufacturer lead times are running 20 to 30 months, and demand from other states could push that to 36. That directly conflicts with the current grant deadlines, and the department has already raised it with CMS. Anticipated approval turnaround after submission is 30 days, pending CMS confirmation. So the message to members: get quotes moving early. The clock is the biggest threat to this money.
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TASA ACTION ITEMS
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Help disseminate grant information to county mayors and finance offices. Initial emails went to Edison contacts and some counties likely never saw them. |
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Push members to attend the mid-July webinar once the invite drops. |
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Coordinate with county government associations on orientation support. Mayoral turnover hits many counties around September 1, 2026. |
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Route all questions through the state point of contact: Brandon Ward, brandon.ward@tn.gov. |
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| Tennessee Ambulance Service Association • The unified voice of Tennessee's EMS community |