SF 5417

as introduced - 93rd Legislature (2023 - 2024) Posted on 04/12/2024 09:48am

A bill for an act
relating to health; establishing an alternative emergency medical services response
model pilot program; appropriating money.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1. new text begin ALTERNATIVE EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES RESPONSE
MODEL PILOT PROGRAM.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Definitions. new text end

new text begin (a) For purposes of this section, the following terms have
the meanings given.
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new text begin (b) "Board" means the Emergency Medical Services Regulatory Board.
new text end

new text begin (c) "Partnering ambulance services" means the primary ambulance service and the
supporting ambulance service that partner to jointly respond to emergency ambulance calls
under the pilot program.
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new text begin (d) "Pilot program" means the alternative emergency medical services response model
pilot program established under this section.
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new text begin (e) "Primary ambulance service" means a basic life support ambulance service or part-time
advanced life support ambulance service.
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new text begin (f) "Supporting ambulance service" means a full-time advanced life support ambulance
service.
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new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Pilot program established. new text end

new text begin The board must establish and oversee an alternative
emergency medical services response model pilot program based in Otter Tail County and
Grant County. Under the pilot program, the board may authorize primary ambulance services
with primary service areas that include any portion of Otter Tail County or Grant County
to partner with supporting ambulance services to provide expanded advanced life support
service intercept capability and staffing support for emergency ambulance calls to locations
anywhere in the partnering ambulance services' primary service areas, including locations
outside of either Otter Tail County or Grant County.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Application. new text end

new text begin A primary ambulance service that wishes to participate in the
pilot program must apply to the board. An application from a primary ambulance service
must be submitted jointly with the supporting ambulance service with which the primary
ambulance service proposes to partner. The application must identify the ambulance services
applying to be partnering ambulance services and must include:
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new text begin (1) approval to participate in the pilot program from the medical directors of the proposed
partnering ambulance services;
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new text begin (2) procedures the primary ambulance service will implement to respond to emergency
ambulance calls when the primary ambulance service is unable to meet the minimum staffing
requirements under Minnesota Statutes, section 144E.101, and the supporting ambulance
service is unavailable to jointly respond to emergency ambulance calls;
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new text begin (3) an agreement between the proposed partnering ambulance services specifying which
ambulance service is responsible for:
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new text begin (i) workers' compensation insurance;
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new text begin (ii) motor vehicle insurance; and
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new text begin (iii) billing, identifying which if any ambulance service will bill the patient or the patient's
insurer and specifying how payments received will be distributed among the proposed
partnering ambulance services;
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new text begin (4) communication procedures to coordinate and make known the real-time availability
of the supporting ambulance service to its proposed partnering primary ambulance service
and public safety answering points;
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new text begin (5) an acknowledgment that the proposed partnering ambulance services must coordinate
compliance with the prehospital care data requirements in Minnesota Statutes, section
144E.123; and
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new text begin (6) an acknowledgment that the proposed partnering ambulance services remain
responsible for providing continual service as required under Minnesota Statutes, section
144E.101, subdivision 3.
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new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Operation. new text end

new text begin Under the pilot program, a supporting ambulance service may
partner with one or more primary ambulance services. Under this partnership, the supporting
ambulance service and primary ambulance service must jointly respond to emergency
ambulance calls originating in the primary service area of the primary ambulance service.
The supporting ambulance service must respond to emergency ambulance calls with either
an ambulance or a nontransporting vehicle fully equipped with the advanced life support
complement of equipment and medications required for that nontransporting vehicle by that
ambulance service's medical director.
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new text begin Subd. 5. new text end

new text begin Staffing. new text end

new text begin (a) When responding to an emergency ambulance call covered by the
pilot program and an ambulance or nontransporting vehicle from the supporting ambulance
service is confirmed to be available and is responding to the call:
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new text begin (1) the primary ambulance service ambulance must be staffed by at least one emergency
medical technician; and
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new text begin (2) the supporting ambulance service ambulance or nontransporting vehicle must be
staffed with a minimum of one paramedic.
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new text begin (b) The staffing specified in paragraph (a) is deemed to satisfy the staffing requirements
in Minnesota Statutes, section 144E.101, for both the primary ambulance service response
and the supporting ambulance service intercept requirements.
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new text begin Subd. 6. new text end

new text begin Medical director oversight. new text end

new text begin The medical directors for ambulance services
participating in the pilot program retain responsibility for the ambulance service personnel
of their respective ambulance services. When a paramedic from the supporting ambulance
service makes contact with the patient, the standing orders, clinical policies, protocols, and
triage, treatment, and transportation guidelines for the supporting ambulance service must
direct patient care related to the encounter.
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new text begin Subd. 7. new text end

new text begin Waivers and variances. new text end

new text begin The board may issue any waivers of or variances to
Minnesota Statutes, chapter 144E, or Minnesota Rules, chapter 4690, to partnering ambulance
services that are needed to implement the pilot program, provided the waiver or variance
does not adversely affect the public health or welfare.
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new text begin Subd. 8. new text end

new text begin Data and evaluation. new text end

new text begin In administering the pilot program, the board shall collect
from partnering ambulance services data needed to evaluate the impacts of the pilot program
on response times, patient outcomes, and patient experience for emergency ambulance calls.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 9. new text end

new text begin Expiration. new text end

new text begin This section expires June 30, 2027.
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new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective July 1, 2024.
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Sec. 2. new text begin APPROPRIATION; ALTERNATIVE EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES
RESPONSE MODEL PILOT PROGRAM.
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new text begin $3,000,000 in fiscal year 2025 is appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner
of management and budget for a grant to Otter Tail County to fund an alternative emergency
medical services response model pilot program. Otter Tail County must reimburse the
Emergency Medical Services Regulatory Board for reasonable administrative costs. This
is a onetime appropriation and is available until June 30, 2027.
new text end