SF 109

as introduced - 86th Legislature (2009 - 2010) Posted on 02/09/2010 02:10am

A bill for an act
relating to health; establishing a medical response unit reimbursement pilot
program; funding emergency medical services programs; appropriating money.

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

Section 1. new text begin MEDICAL RESPONSE UNIT REIMBURSEMENT PILOT
PROGRAM.
new text end

new text begin The Emergency Medical Services Regulatory Board must collaborate with the
Minnesota Ambulance Association to create the parameters of the medical response unit
reimbursement pilot program, including determining criteria for reporting data.
new text end

new text begin In conducting the pilot program, the Minnesota Ambulance Association must consult
with the Minnesota Fire Chief's Association and the Minnesota Council of Health Plans to
(1) identify no more than five medical response units to participate in the program; (2)
outline criteria for reimbursement; (3) determine the amount of reimbursement for each
unit; and (4) collect program data to be analyzed for a final report. Further requirements
for the medical response unit reimbursement pilot program include:
new text end

new text begin (1) the pilot program will expire on December 31, 2010, or when the appropriation
is expended, whichever occurs first;
new text end

new text begin (2) a report to the legislature by March 1, 2011, from the Emergency Medical
Services Regulatory Board as to the effectiveness and value of this reimbursement pilot
program to the emergency medical services delivery system, and any actual or potential
savings to the health care system;
new text end

new text begin (3) participating medical response units must adhere to the requirements of this pilot
program, including, but not limited to, requirements relating to data collection, response
criteria, and patient disposition, which are to be determined by the Minnesota Ambulance
Association and the ambulance service licensed to provide care in the unit's response area;
new text end

new text begin (4) individual entities licensed to provide ambulance care under Minnesota Statutes,
Chapter 144E, are not eligible for participation in the pilot program;
new text end

new text begin (5) if a participating medical response unit withdraws from the pilot program, the
Minnesota Ambulance Association may choose another similarly operating medical
response unit to complete the program;
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new text begin (6) licensed ambulance services that participate in the pilot program assume no
financial or legal liability for the actions of participating medical response units; and
new text end

new text begin (7) the Minnesota Ambulance Association and its members have no ongoing
responsibility to reimburse medical response units beyond the parameters of this pilot
program.
new text end

Sec. 2. new text begin APPROPRIATIONS TO EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES
REGULATORY BOARD; COMMISSIONER OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Regional medical services program. new text end

new text begin For fiscal year 2010,
$800,000 must be transferred from the Cooper/Sams volunteer ambulance trust, formerly
known as the ambulance service personnel longevity award and incentive trust, to the
emergency medical services system fund and appropriated to the Emergency Medical
Services Regulatory Board for the regional emergency medical services programs. This
amount shall be distributed equally to the eight emergency medical service regions.
Notwithstanding Minnesota Statutes, 144E.50, 100 percent of the appropriation shall be
passed on to the emergency medical service regions.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Comprehensive advanced life-support educational (CALS) program.
new text end

new text begin For fiscal year 2010, $100,000 is appropriated from the Cooper/Sams volunteer ambulance
trust, formerly known as ambulance service personnel longevity award and incentive trust,
to the Emergency Medical Services Regulatory Board for the comprehensive advanced
life-support educational (CALS) program established under Minnesota Statutes, section
144E.37. This appropriation is to extend availability and affordability of the CALS
program for rural emergency medical personnel and to assist hospital staff in attaining the
credentialing levels necessary for implementation of the statewide trauma system.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Emergency medical services for children (EMS-C) program. new text end

new text begin For fiscal
year 2010, $100,000 is appropriated from the Cooper/Sams volunteer ambulance trust,
formerly known as ambulance service personnel longevity award and incentive trust, to
the Emergency Medical Services Regulatory Board for the emergency medical services
for children (EMS-C) program. This appropriation is to meet increased need for medical
training specific to pediatric emergencies.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Veterans paramedic apprenticeship program. new text end

new text begin For fiscal year 2010,
$200,000 is appropriated from the Cooper/Sams volunteer ambulance trust, formerly
known as ambulance service personnel longevity award and incentive trust, to the
commissioner of veterans affairs to make a grant to the Minnesota Ambulance Association
to implement a veterans paramedic apprenticeship program to reintegrate returning
military medics into Minnesota's workforce in the field of paramedic and emergency
services, thereby guaranteeing returning military medics gainful employment with livable
wages and benefits.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 5. new text end

new text begin Medical response unit reimbursement pilot program. new text end

new text begin (a) For fiscal
year 2010, $250,000 is appropriated from the Cooper/Sams volunteer ambulance
trust, formerly known as ambulance service personnel longevity award incentive trust,
to the Emergency Medical Services Regulatory Board for a medical response unit
reimbursement pilot program. Of this appropriation, $20,000 is for administrative costs
to the Emergency Medical Services Regulatory Board, including providing staff support
and technical assistance.
new text end

new text begin (b) $230,000 is for a grant to the Minnesota Ambulance Association to conduct the
medical response unit reimbursement pilot program. Of this grant, $30,000 is for the
Minnesota Ambulance Association to hire staff to create the template for the program,
administer reimbursements, advise participants in the program, coordinate with the
Minnesota Fire Chief's Association, Minnesota Emergency Medical Services Regulatory
Board, and the Minnesota Council of Health Plans, and to pay for administrative costs,
including office and travel expenses. $200,000 of this grant is to provide reimbursements
to medical response units through the pilot program.
new text end