HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 84

(By Delegates Statler, Maynard, Cooper, Jennings, Sypolt, R. Miller, Fast, Lovejoy, Love, Ambler, Adkins, Atkinson, Barrett, Bates, Brewer, Butler, Campbell, Caputo, Criss, Dean, Eldridge, A. Evans, E. Evans, Gearheart, Graves, Harshbarger, Hollen, Howell, Isner, Kelly, Kessinger, Martin, McGeehan, Pack, Paynter, Phillips, Pushkin, Pyles, Robinson, C. Romine, R. Romine, Rowe, Sobonya, Summers, Thompson, Wagner, Walters, Ward, Westfall, Williams and Wilson )

[Introduced February 26, 2018; Referred to the Committee on Rules]

Requesting the Department of Health and Human Resources and the Bureau for Medical Services review and update Medicaid reimbursement rates for ground and air ambulance services.

Whereas, West Virginia Ambulance squads are dedicated to providing the utmost health care to the citizens of West Virginia.  West Virginia Ambulance squads are often the first to respond to scenes of accidents and medical emergencies to provide life-saving care and transport in times of need and West Virginia ambulance agencies are critical to the state’s response to the declared national emergency related to opioid and other drug overdoses often administering lifesaving care; and

Whereas, The state’s rural population and mountain topography make it difficult and increasingly costly to maintain rapid emergency response and most ambulance agencies in West Virginia receive minimal funding from state, county, and local governments to support their services.  Ambulance squads are dependent on reimbursement by payers such as Medicaid, Medicare and commercial health insurance to maintain emergency medical coverage in West Virginia; and

Whereas, Medicaid medical reimbursements for ground ambulance services have not been increased in over 17 years.  The rates for reimbursements paid by Medicaid for ground ambulance services are generally used by other health benefit payors in setting their own allowable reimbursement rates and, therefore, the failure to adjust Medicaid reimbursement rates unnaturally depresses coverage for the reasonable costs of all ambulance transport; and

Whereas, In that 17-year period ambulance agencies have experienced significant increases in all costs of service delivery including fuel, liability insurance, workers’ compensation, required medical supplies and equipment, employee compensation and other expenses since the last Medicaid ambulance rate increase.  Over 70 ambulance agencies have closed in the last 10 years, many citing rising costs and low Medicaid reimbursement rates as reasons for their closure; and additional ambulance agencies currently face closure without additional funding; slowing response times and access to critical emergency medical care in rural, medically underserved communities; therefore, be it,

Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:

That the Department of Health and Human Resources and the Bureau for Medical Services review and update Medicaid reimbursement rates for ground and air ambulance services; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the Department of Health and Human Resources and the Bureau for Medical Services report to the House Government Organization Committee, the findings of their rate review for providers of ground and air ambulance services by June 1, 2018; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the Department of Health and Human Resources and the Bureau for Medical Services establish a process to thereafter review on an annual basis the rates paid for ambulance services to ensure rates are adequate to maintain vital emergency medical services for the citizens and taxpayers of West Virginia; and be it

Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the House forward a copy of this resolution to the Department of Health and Human Resources and the Bureau for Medical Services.