A divided Congress approved a landmark $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill Wednesday that includes several provisions to help ambulance services, experts say.
The deal includes a waiver to allow Medicare to reimburse for ground ambulance services during COVID-19 when the beneficiary has not been transported under certain circumstances, according to the American Ambulance Association (AAA).
The bill also increases the Provider Relief Fund by $8.5 billion. That money will go toward rural providers and suppliers, including ground ambulance services.
The AAA worked with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in removing the barrier reimburse ground ambulance services.
The U.S. House of Representatives gave the final congressional approval after the U.S. Senate approved it on Saturday. President Biden is expected to sign off on the agreement later this week.
Republicans in both chambers opposed the bill unanimously, calling the bill bloated and $1,400 payments to adults unaffordable, according to the New York Times.
