Minnesota Administrative Rules

9505.0315 MEDICAL TRANSPORTATION.

Subpart 1.

Definitions.

For purposes of this part, the following terms have the meanings given them.

A.

"Ancillary services" means health services, incident to ambulance services, that may be medically necessary on an individual basis, but are not routinely used, and are not included in the base rate for ambulance service.

B.

"Common carrier transportation" means the transport of a recipient by a bus, taxicab, or other commercial carrier or by private automobile.

C.

"Ambulance service" means the transport of a recipient whose medical condition or diagnosis requires medically necessary services before and during transport.

D.

"Medical transportation" means the transport of a recipient for the purpose of obtaining a covered service or transporting the recipient after the service is provided. The types of medical transportation are common carrier, life support, and special transportation.

E.

"No load transportation" refers to medical transportation that does not involve transporting a recipient.

F.

"Special transportation" means the transport of a recipient who, because of a physical or mental impairment, is unable to use a common carrier and does not require ambulance service.

For the purposes of item F, "physical or mental impairment" means a physiological disorder, physical condition, or mental disorder that prohibits access to or safe use of common carrier transportation.

Subp. 2.

Payment limitations; general.

To be eligible for medical assistance payment, medical transportation must be to or from the site of a covered service to a recipient. Examples of covered services are the services specified in parts 9505.0170 to 9505.0475 and services provided by a rehabilitation facility or a training and habilitation center.

Subp. 3.

Payment limitations; transportation between providers of covered services.

Medical transportation of a recipient between providers of covered services is eligible for medical assistance payment as specified in items A to C.

A.

Except for an emergency, transportation between two long-term care facilities must be medically necessary because the health service required by the recipient's plan of care is not available at the long-term care facility where the recipient resides.

B.

Transportation between two hospitals must be to obtain a medically necessary service that is not available at the hospital where the recipient was when the medical necessity was diagnosed.

C.

Claims for payment for transportation between two long-term care facilities or between two hospitals must be documented by a statement signed by a member of the nursing staff at the originating facility that the medically necessary health service is part of the recipient's plan of care and is not available at the originating facility.

Subp. 4.

Payment limitation; transportation of deceased person.

Payment for transportation of a deceased person is limited to the circumstances in items A to C.

A.

If a recipient is pronounced dead by a legally authorized person after medical transportation is called but before it arrives, service to the point of pickup is eligible for payment.

B.

If medical transportation is provided to a recipient who is pronounced dead en route or dead on arrival by a legally authorized person, the medical transportation is eligible for payment.

C.

If a recipient is pronounced dead by a legally authorized person before medical transportation is called, medical transportation is not eligible for payment.

Subp. 5.

Excluded costs related to transportation; general.

The costs of items A to F are not eligible for payment as medical transportation:

A.

transportation of a recipient to a hospital or other site of health services for detention that is ordered by a court or law enforcement agency except when ambulance service is a medical necessity;

B.

transportation of a recipient to a facility for alcohol detoxification that is not a medical necessity;

C.

no load transportation except as in subpart 6, item E;

D.

additional charges for luggage, stair carry of the recipient, and other airport, bus, or railroad terminal services;

E.

airport surcharge; and

F.

federal or state excise or sales taxes on air ambulance service.

Subp. 6.

Payment limitations; ambulance service.

To be eligible for the medical assistance payment rate as an ambulance service, the service must comply with the conditions in items A to E.

A.

The provider must be licensed under Minnesota Statutes, sections 144E.10 and 144E.16 as an advanced life support, basic life support, or scheduled ambulance service.

B.

The provider must identify the level of medically necessary services provided to the recipient in the claim for payment.

C.

The medical necessity of the ambulance service for a recipient must be documented by the state report required under Minnesota Statutes, section 144E.17.

D.

The recipient's transportation must be in response to a 911 emergency call, a police or fire department call, or an emergency call received by the provider. Except as in item E, an ambulance service that responds to an emergency call but does not transport a recipient as a result of the call is not eligible for medical assistance payment.

E.

An ambulance that responds to a medical emergency is eligible for payment for no load transportation only if the ambulance provided medically necessary treatment to the recipient at the pickup point of the recipient. The payment is limited to charges for transportation to the point of pickup and for ancillary services.

Subp. 7.

Payment limitation; special transportation.

To be eligible for medical assistance payment, a provider of special transportation, except as specified in Minnesota Statutes, section 174.30, must be certified by the Department of Transportation under Minnesota Statutes, sections 174.29 to 174.30. Payment eligibility of special transportation is subject to the limitations in items A to C.

A.

The special transportation is provided to a recipient who has been determined eligible for special transportation by the local agency on the basis of a certification of need by the recipient's attending physician.

B.

Special transportation to reach a health service destination outside of the recipient's local trade area is ordered by the recipient's attending physician and the local agency has approved the service.

C.

The cost of special transportation of a recipient who participates in a training and habilitation program is not eligible for reimbursement on a separate claim for payment if transportation expenses are included in the per diem payment to the intermediate care facility for the developmentally disabled or if the transportation rate has been established under parts 9525.1200 to 9525.1330.

D.

[Repealed, L 2013 c 81 s 12]

Subp. 8.

Payment limitation; common carrier transportation.

To be eligible for medical assistance payment, the claim for payment of common carrier transportation must state the date of service, the origin and destination of the transportation, and the charge. Claims for payment must be submitted to the local agency.

Subp. 9.

Payment limitation; air ambulance.

Transportation by air ambulance shall be eligible for medical assistance payment if the recipient has a life threatening condition that does not permit the recipient to use another form of transportation.

Statutory Authority:

MS s 256B.04

History:

12 SR 624; L 1987 c 209 s 39; L 1988 c 689 art 2 s 268; L 1997 c 199 s 14; L 2005 c 56 s 2; L 2013 c 81 s 12

Published Electronically:

October 16, 2013