Support S.2757 / H.R. 5530, the VA Emergency Transportation Access Act

The Veteran’s Administration continues plans to lower its transportation rate to parity with Medicare. AAMS has asked the VA to delay this implementation until data collection efforts at CMS required by the NSA. AAMS and AAMS members have the gained the support of offices in Congress, and have been working with the Committees of jurisdiction on multiple information requests to the VA. 

The VA issued a NPRM to amend reimbursement rates for air medical services to match the Medicare Part B Ambulance Fee Schedule. This fee schedule was created in 2002 using aggregated ground and air ambulance transportation data and has never been adjusted, aside from an annual inflation factor. If finalized, this rule would set the reimbursement rate for ambulance transportation at about half of the median cost for air ambulance transport. A significant decrease in reimbursement rates for air ambulance services will decrease the availability of necessary emergency health care for our veterans, especially in rural areas.

The VA Emergency Transportation Access Act (S.2757 / H.R.5530) has been introduced in Congress and we ask you to show your support. This bipartisan, bicameral legislation will protect Veterans' access to emergency ground and air medical services by requiring the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to perform a thorough study of the impact of any change to reimbursement rates prior to modifying the current rates.

Add your voice!

Please visit our Advocacy Action Center and make use of our template letter to  urge your Congressional Representatives to support the legislation to protect emergency transport access for our nation's veterans.

RESOURCES

•  H.R. 5530 Press Release, Sept 21st: Zinke Co-Leads Bill Countering VA’s Outdated Emergency Transportation Rule

• S.2757 Press Release, Sept 13th: Tester, Moran, Murray, Boozman Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Protect Rural Veterans’ Access to Lifesaving Emergency Medical Transportation

• Review bill text here: H.R.5530 and S.2757

• AAMS has developed key talking points in collaboration with industry partner organizations. If you would like a copy to have for reference should you receive any inquiries about the bill, please email bbeggan@aams.org.

AAMS also stands ready to help with inquiries. Please refer contacts to Kyle Sanders, AAMS Public Affairs Advocate at ksanders@thornrun.com.

• S.2757 / H.R.5530 1-pager resource document

Letters of Support:

• Joint AAMS & ACCT letters for S.2757 and H.R.5530
• The American Legion
• Jewish War Veterans of the United States of America

AAMS would like to thank the Association of Critical Care Transport (ACCT) and the American Ambulance Association (AAA) for their collaboration on the VA issue.

Organizations who support S. 2757/HR 5530 include:

• Wounded Warriors
• Jewish War Veterans
• American Legion
• Disabled American Veterans
• Paralyzed Veterans of America
• VFW
  
• American Ambulance Association (AAA)
• Association of Air Medical Services (AAMS)
• Association of Critical Care Transport (ACCT)
• Helicopter Association International (HAI)
• Arizona Association of Air Medical Services
• California Association of Air Medical Services (Cal-AAMS)
• Kentucky Air Medical Association (KAMA)
  
• International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC)
• International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF)
• International College of Advanced Practice Paramedics (I-CAPP)
• National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT)
• Air Methods Corporation
• Enterprise Rescue (Alabama)
• Global Medical Response
• Life Flight Network
• PHI Health
  
• Northwest Air Ambulance Response (NWAAR)
• Texas Association of Air Medical Services (TAAMS)
• Airbus
• Leonardo