CARE Act of 2025

This bill tells Medicare to test a new way to handle some 911 medical calls. Ambulance crews could be paid for treating a patient on scene or through telehealth, even if the patient is not transported to the hospital. The care must follow state and local rules, and can include real-time medical direction by video. Payments would be set to roughly match what Medicare would have paid if the person had been transported. The test would run for five years, and a federal report would review how it affects patient outcomes, access to services, and costs, and suggest improvements.

Key points:

• Who is affected: People on Medicare who call 911, local ambulance services, and telehealth providers.
• What changes: Medicare pays for treatment at the scene (or via telehealth) when an ambulance is dispatched, even if no transport happens; the patient’s location counts as the telehealth “originating site.”
• When: The model runs for 5 years, with a report due within 4 years after it starts, comparing outcomes to traditional transport and recommending best practices.