AAA Government Affairs E-Update

November 25, 2009

1. Write your Members of Congress on Medicare Ambulance Relief

2. Call Your Senate Judiciary Committee Senator about Dale Long Act

3. REMINDER: Details of Next Ambulance Open Door Forum

4. No AAA Health Care Reform Update for November 27

1. Write your Members of Congress on Medicare Ambulance Relief

Please continue to contact your members of Congress in support of temporary Medicare ambulance relief within health care reform legislation as well as requesting that they support permant Medicare ambulance relief by cosponsoring the Medicare Ambulance Access Preservation Act (S. 1066, H.R. 2443).   Please act today!

To access the AAA online letter writing system, go to: http://capwiz.com/the-aaa/issues/alert/?alertid=13387251

On the evening of Saturday, November 21, the United States Senate voted 60 to 39 to proceed to consideration of health care reform legislation, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.   All 58 Democrats and the two Independents who caucus with the Democrats voted in favor of cloture and all 39 Republicans voted against it with Senator George Voinovich (D-OH) not present for the vote.   The Senate will begin consideration of the bill after the Thanksgiving Day recess with a final vote on passage scheduled for late December shortly before Christmas.   The U.S. House of Representatives passed their health care reform legislation, the Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R. 3962), on November 7.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act includes a nine-month extension of the 2% urban and 3% rural increases as well as the super rural bonus payment but the effective date is April 1, 2010.   The AAA is advocating that the effect date be January 1, 2010, so that there is no lapse in relief.   The Affordable Health Care for America Act includes a two-year extension of the 2% urban and 3% rural increases but no extension of the super rural bonus payment.   The AAA is pushing for a final package to include a two-year extension of the urban and rural increases and the super rural bonus payment and would like to see the larger provisions of the bill to be palatable for providers.

All the temporary Medicare ambulance relief provisions expire at the end of this year.   This includes the 2% urban and 3% rural increases, the "super rural" bonus payment of an additional 22.6% to the base rate and the remaining partial relief from the regional fee schedule.   It is therefore critical that Congress extend Medicare ambulance relief before this happens.   The AAA is asking all ambulance service professionals to write their Senators and ask that they support including Medicare ambulance relief extensions in health care reform legislation and, if they have not done so already, that they cosponsor the Medicare Ambulance Access Preservation Act (S. 1066, H.R. 2443) which would implement permanent relief.

About the Medicare Ambulance Access Preservation Act

The Medicare Ambulance Access Preservation Act (MAAPA) was introduced in the Senate by Senators Charles Schumer (D-NY), Pat Roberts (R-KS), Kent Conrad (D-ND) and Jeff Sessions (R-AL) and in the House by Congressmen Richard Neal (D-MA) and Fred Upton (R-MI).   MAAPA would provide a permanent 6% Medicare increase for transports originating in an urban or rural area and permanently extend the bonus base payment of 22.6% for transports originating in super rural areas.   If Congress does not act on Medicare ambulance relief by the end of this year, ambulance service providers will lose a minimum of 2% in urban areas, 3% in rural areas and 17% in super rural areas.  

To access the AAA online letter writing system, go to: http://capwiz.com/the-aaa/issues/alert/?alertid=13387251

Current Cosponsors of the MAAPA

Below is a list, current as of today, by state of members of Congress who have officially been added as cosponsors or made a commitment to the bill sponsors.

AL : Sen. Jeff Sessions

AR: Sen. Blanche Lincoln, Sen. Mark Pryor

CA: Rep. Devin Nunes

CT: Rep. Rosa DeLauro

GA: Sen. Saxby Chambliss, Sen. Johnny Isakson

IA: Sen. Tom Harkin

KS: Sen. Pat Roberts

LA: Sen. Mary Landrieu

ME: Sen. Susan Collins, Rep. Michael Michaud

MA: Sen. John Kerry, Rep. Richard Neal, Rep. James McGovern

MI: Sen. Debbie Stabenow, Rep. Fred Upton, Rep. Dale Kildee, Rep. Bart Stupak

MN: Sen. Amy Klobuchar

MS: Sen. Thad Cochran

MO: Sen. Kit Bond

MT: Sen. Jon Tester

NV: Rep. Shelley Berkley

NJ: Sen. Frank Lautenberg, Rep. Steven Rothman, Rep. Albio Sires

NY: Sen. Charles Schumer, Rep. Paul Tonko

ND: Sen. Kent Conrad, Sen. Byron Dorgan

OH: Rep. Patrick Tiberi

PA: Rep. Jim Gerlach, Rep. Tim Murphy

SC: Sen. Lindsey Graham

SD: Rep. Stephanie Sandlin Herseth

VT: Sen. Patrick Leahy, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Rep. Peter Welch

WA: Rep. Doc Hastings

WI: Rep. Steve Kagen

To access the AAA online letter writing system, go to: http://capwiz.com/the-aaa/issues/alert/?alertid=13387251

Please write your members of Congress today!

2. Call Your Senate Judiciary Committee Senator about Dale Long Act

The Senate Committee on the Judiciary delayed consideration of the Dale Long Emergency Medical Service Providers Protection Act (S. 1353) until December.   The Committee was originally scheduled to consider S. 1353 on November 19.   This gives us more time to strengthen support of the bill with Committee members.

If one of your Senators is on the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, please contact them and ask that they vote in favor of the bill.   Simply call his or her office and ask to speak to the Judiciary Legislative Assistant and let them know of your support.   Below is list of Senators who serve on the Committee and their Capitol Hill office phone number, as well as a description of the bill.

Senate Judiciary Committee Members

Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Chair, No need to call

Sen. Herb Kohl (D-WI), 202-224-5653

Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-CA), 202-224-3841

Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI), 202-224-5323

Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY), 202-224-6542

Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL), 202-224-2152

Sen. Benjamin Cardin (D-MD), 202-224-4524

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), 202-224-2921

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), 202-224-3244

Sen. Ted Kaufman (D-DE), 202-224-5042

Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA), 202-224-4254

Sen. Al Franken (D-MN), 202-224-5641

Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Ranking Member, 202-224-4124

Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT), 202-224-5251

Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA), 202-224-3744

Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ), 202-224-4521

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), 202-224-5972

Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), 202-224-2934

Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK), 202-224-5754

About the Dale Long Act

On June 25, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) introduced the Dale Long Emergency Medical Services Provider Protection Act (S. 1353).   This legislation would extend federal death benefits under the Public Safety Officers' Benefit (PSOB) program to those paramedics and EMTs who are employed by a non-profit ambulance agency.   The legislation is named after the paramedic with Bennington Rescue Squad in Vermont and 2009 AAA Star of Life who recently died in the line of duty.   While the bill does not cover all EMS personnel, specifically those who are employed by for-profit agencies, the AAA Board voted to endorse it because the bill is a good first step and will extend coverage to thousands of EMS personnel.  

3. REMINDER: Details of Next Ambulance Open Door Forum

The next Ambulance Open Door Forum will be held on Wednesday, December 9, 2009, at 2:00 p.m. (eastern).   To participate in the Forum, dial 1-800-837-1935 and provide the operator with the conference ID number of 40386943 and your name, organization name and the state from which you are calling.   Below are more details on the Forum.

CMS Ambulance Open Door Forum

Date: Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Time: 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. (eastern)

Conference Call Number: 1-800-837-1935

Conference ID: 40386943

Conference Leaders: Dr. Bill Rogers/John Warren/Natalie Highsmith

TTY Communications Relay Services are available for the hearing impaired.   For TTY services dial 7-1-1 or 1-800-855-2880 and for Internet Relay services click here http://relayservices.att.com/ .   A relay communications assistant will help.

ENCORE: Call Number 1-800-642-1687; Conference ID Number of 40386943.

"Encore" is a recording of this call that can be accessed by dialing 1-800-642-1687 and entering the Conference ID number of 40386943.   You can access the recording of the call from Wednesday, December 9, after 5:00 p.m. (EST) through Monday, December 14.

4. No AAA Health Care Reform Update for November 27

Due to the Thanksgiving Day Holiday, the AAA will not issue its weekly Health Care Reform Update on November 27.   Have a happy Thanksgiving!