When Minutes Count for Emergency Medical Patients Act

Summary

Creates a new five-year Medicare payment model that gives supplemental payments to ground and air ambulance/EMS agencies so they can keep lifesaving medications and blood products on hand, report clinical and outcome data, and be evaluated. Requires the HHS Secretary to select participants nationwide, run the model for at least five years, and report results to Congress after the model ends. Also directs MedPAC to study Medicare payment and related issues for emergency medical services and requires HHS to issue guidance to hospitals about EMTALA “wall time,” with required reports to Congress.

Key Points

• Creates a new Medicare payment model that gives supplemental payments to ground and air ambulance/EMS agencies to keep lifesaving meds and blood products available and to report clinical/outcome data.
• Requires HHS to select participants across all HHS regions, run the model for at least five years, and report results to Congress within one year after the model ends.
• Directs MedPAC to complete a study of Medicare payment and related issues for emergency medical services and report to Congress within two years.
• Requires HHS to issue guidance to hospitals on EMTALA "wall time" within one year and to report to Congress one year after issuing that guidance.
• Establishes data-collection and reporting obligations for participating EMS agencies to enable evaluation of clinical outcomes and program effectiveness.
• Defines key terms (e.g., "wall time," "emergency medical services," "Medicare beneficiary") to clarify coverage and reporting requirements.
• Aims to improve readiness and pre-hospital care by supporting EMS inventory of lifesaving supplies and capturing outcome data to inform future payment policy.
• Does not appropriate specific dollar amounts in these sections; payments are via a Medicare model that authorizes supplemental payments and evaluation.

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