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Ground Ambulance Assessment Update 10-7-2022

TennCare announces the restart of the Ground Assessment Program for Emergency Transports Only

On Thursday October 6, 2022 we received word from TennCare that they had completed the necessary data collection to re-launch the assessment program. TennCare will be sending a memo to providers today announcing the re-launch of the program.

According to TennCare, the first assessments (invoices) and payments (aka kicker payments) will cover SFY Q3 & Q4 (Jan-Mar & Apr-Jun 2022) and providers should begin receiving payments and invoices before the end of October.

The first invoices are based on 2020 emergency responses that resulted in a transport. Moving forward, the invoices will be based on 2021 emergency responses that resulted in a transport.

Assessments (invoices) SFY22 Q3 & Q4 (Jan-Mar & Apr-Jun 2022): $26.32 per emergency response that resulted in a transport in 2020. Example: ABC Ambulance Service made 5,648 total emergency responses that resulted in transport in 2020. This number is divided by 4 to get the per quarter responses then multiplied by the assessment rate. (5,648 / 4) x $26.32 = $37,163.84 each quarter.

Assessments (invoices) SFY23 Q1, Q2, Q3 & Q4 (July-Sep, Oct-Dec, Jan-Mar, Apr-Jun 2023): $20.43 per emergency response that resulted in a transport in 2021. Example: ABC Ambulance Service made 6,823 total emergency responses that resulted in transport in 2020. This number is divided by 4 to get the per quarter responses then multiplied by the assessment rate. (6,823 / 4) x $20.43 = $34,848.72 each quarter.

Payments (aka kicker payments) SFY22 Q3, Q4 and SFY 23 all quarters: $229.50 per emergency TennCare claim paid in the respective quarter. Qualifying paid TennCare claims = HCPCS codes: A0427, A0429, A0433, A0434. Example: ABC Ambulance Service was paid for 365 qualifying TennCare claims during SFY Q3. The kicker payment for this quarter would be: 365 x $229.50 = $83,767.50

Payment breakdowns will be sent out by TASA to the service address on file with the State EMS office

Memo from TennCare