1. 2010 Ambulance Ride-Along Toolkit Now Available

2. REMINDER: Details of August Ambulance Open Door Forum

3. Cosponsors of Permanent Medicare Ambulance Relief Bills

4. Cosponsors of Nongovernmental EMS Federal Death Benefits Bills

1. 2010 Ambulance Ride-Along Toolkit Now Available

The AAA 2010 Congressional Ride-Along Toolkit is now available on the AAA website at: http://www.the-aaa.org/capitol_hill/congressional_ridealongs.html.

We encourage AAA members to use the opportunity provided by the upcoming August recess to educate members of Congress about issues important to your operation.  The most effective way to deliver these key messages is to host your member of Congress on a tour or your operation and an ambulance ride-along.  The AAA has made this process easy for you with our 2010 Congressional Ride-Along Toolkit.

In addition, September is "National Preparedness Month" which presents you with an opportunity to generate more awareness within your community and with local and state officials about the important role of your operation as a first responder.  We have updated our Emergency Preparedness Toolkit which includes information about National Preparedness Month and how your operation can generate awareness.  That toolkit can also be accessed at: http://www.the-aaa.org/capitol_hill/congressional_ridealongs.html.

2. REMINDER: Details of August Ambulance Open Door Forum

The next Ambulance Open Door Forum will be held Tuesday, August 3, 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 89679492 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: Tuesday, August 3, 2010

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

Conference Call Number: 1-800-837-1935

Conference ID: 89679492

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 89679492.  "Encore" is a recording of this call that can be accessed by dialing 1-800-642-1687 and entering the Conference ID number of 89679492.  You can access the recording of the call from Tuesday, August 3, after 5:00 p.m. (EST) through Friday, August 6.

3. Cosponsors of Permanent Medicare Ambulance Relief Bills

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 (S. 1066, H.R. 2443) would provide a permanent 6% Medicare increase for ambulance transports originating in urban or rural areas and permanently extend the bonus base payment of 22.6% for ambulance transports originating in super rural areas.

The AAA was successful in efforts to extend the temporary 2% urban, 3% rural and super rural bonus increases until the end of 2010.  The relief from MAAPA would take the place of any temporary Medicare ambulance relief beyond 2010 and not in addition to it.  The AAA will continue to pursue efforts for the extension of the temporary Medicare ambulance relief provisions as well as advocate for passage of MAAPA as the permanent solution to below-cost Medicare ambulance reimbursement.  Medicare ambulance relief is the top legislative priority of the AAA.

Current Cosponsors of MAAPA

Below is a list, current as of today, of members of Congress who have officially been added as cosponsors to MAAPA (S. 1066, H.R. 2443).  The names of sponsors and champions of the bills are underlined.

AL: Sen. Jeff Sessions

AR: Sen. Blanche Lincoln, Sen. Mark Pryor, Rep. Marion Berry

CA: Rep. Devin Nunes

CT: Rep. Rosa DeLauro: Rep. Chris Murphy

DC: Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton

GA: Sen. Saxby Chambliss, Sen. Johnny Isakson

IL: Rep. Aaron Schock

IA: Sen. Tom Harkin

KS: Sen. Pat Roberts

KY: Brett Guthrie

LA: Sen. Mary Landrieu, Rep. Charlie Melancon

ME: Sen. Susan Collins, Rep. Michael Michaud

MP: Del. Gregorio Sablan

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

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

MN: Sen. Amy Klobuchar; Rep. Jim Oberstar

MS: Sen. Thad Cochran

MO: Sen. Kit Bond

MT: Sen. Jon Tester

NE: Rep. Adrian Smith

NV: Rep. Shelley Berkley

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

NY: Sen. Charles Schumer, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Rep. Paul Tonko

NH: Sen. Jeanne Shaheen

ND: Sen. Kent Conrad, Sen. Byron Dorgan

OH: Rep. Patrick Tiberi

OR: Rep. Peter DeFazio, Rep. David Wu

PA: Rep. Jim Gerlach, Rep. Tim Murphy, Rep. Tim Holden, Rep. Patrick Murphy

RI: Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, Rep. James Langevin

SD: Rep. Stephanie Sandlin Herseth

SC: Sen. Lindsey Graham

VA: Rep. Gerry Connolly

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

WA: Rep. Doc Hastings

WV: Rep. Nick Rahall

WI: Rep. Steve Kagen, Rep. Tammy Baldwin

4. Cosponsors of Federal Death Benefit Nongovernmental EMS Bills

The second highest legislative priority of the AAA is to ensure that paramedics and EMTs who are employed by nongovernmental ambulance agencies are covered by federal death benefits in the unfortunate event that he or she dies in the line of duty.   To address this issue, the AAA has been working closely with the offices of Senator Patrick Leahy who introduced the Dale Long Emergency Medical Service Providers Protection Act (S. 1353) and Congressman Keith Ellison who introduced the Nongovernmental Emergency Responder Family Protection Act (H.R. 2485).  S. 1353 is pending on the Senate Calendar and H.R. 2485 has been referred to the House Judiciary Committee.

The Nongovernmental Emergency Responder Family Protection Act (NERFPA) would clarify that the PSOB program covers private non-profit and for-profit public safety officers who provide emergency medical and ground or air ambulance service, fire protection and suppression.  The Dale Long Emergency Medical Service Providers Protection Act would cover non-profit public safety officers.

Below is a list, current as of today, of members of Congress who have officially been added as cosponsors to the Dale Long Act (S. 1353) and H.R. 2485.  The names of sponsors and champions of the bills are underlined.

Dale Long Act (S. 1353) Cosponsors

MI: Sen. Debbie Stabenow

MN: Sen. Al Franken

NJ: Sen. Bob Menendez

NY: Sen. Chuck Schumer

ND: Sen. Kent Conrad

OR: Sen. Jeff Merkley

VT: Sen. Patrick Leahy, Sen. Bernie Sanders

NERFPA (H.R. 2485) Cosponsors

CA: Rep. Zoe Lofgren

DC: Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton

GA: Rep. Sanford Bishop

IN: Rep. Andre Carson

KS: Rep. Dennis Moore

ME: Rep. Michael Michaud

MD: Rep. Elijah Cummings

MA: Rep. Barney Frank

MI: Rep. Mark Schauer

MN: Rep. Keith Ellison, Rep. Collin Peterson, Rep. Tim Walz

NJ: Rep. Steven Rothman

NY: Rep. Yvette Clarke, Rep. Paul Tonko

OR: Rep. David Wu

VT: Rep. Peter Welch