Currently, when Hatzolah or other EMS in New Jersey transport someone to the hospital, they collect $58 from Medicaid. This amount is the lowest of all states in the nation.
Pending legislation, which this week cleared its first major legal hurdle, would increase this amount by $142 to $200.
The bipartisan bill, S-2946, sponsored by Republican Senator Jean Stanfield and Democrat Senator Troy Singleton, was unanimously advanced this week by the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee.
The bill sponsors say the legislation would provide additional support to emergency ambulance services which, in turn, would help ensure the availability of ambulance transportation in an emergency.
“If we don’t do more to support emergency service providers, help may not be available when a loved one suffers a heart attack or has a medical crisis,” said Stanfield (R-8). “Currently, the rate in New Jersey is only $58 – that’s the lowest in the nation. This is a sensible investment in life-saving emergency services that state residents depend on.”
The reimbursement rates in surrounding states range from $293.90 in Connecticut to $65.27 in Delaware. In Pennsylvania, legislation is pending that would boost the per-transport rate to $325.
“The health care system relies on the dependable availability of ambulance crews when lives are on the line and residents call 911 in an emergency,” Stanfield said. “The rate adjustment is long overdue.”
The bill has now been referred to the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee for further consideration.
This bill would need to first pass the full legislature and receive the governor's signature before it could become law.
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2 comments:
This would make Hatzolah in even more of a hurry to convince not-so-injured patients (but who are guilty of drunk driving crashes) to get them into the ambulance and transported to the hospital.
I disagree. The volunteers are not interested in wasting their time unnecessarily for another 142 dollars.
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