LRB-4407/1
TJD:cdc
2021 - 2022 LEGISLATURE
January 18, 2022 - Introduced by Representatives Loudenbeck, Dallman, Brooks,
Duchow, James, Kerkman, Krug, Kurtz, Mursau, Novak, Shankland,
Subeck, Summerfield, Vruwink and Allen, cosponsored by Senators
Felzkowski, Bewley, Cowles and Petrowski. Referred to Committee on Local
Government.
AB874,1,3 1An Act to create 20.435 (4) (xm), 25.17 (1) (aj), 25.776, 49.45 (3) (em), 49.45 (15r)
2and 256.23 of the statutes; relating to: emergency medical transportation
3services under Medical Assistance program and making an appropriation.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill implements an ambulance service provider assessment on private
ambulance service providers for supplemental reimbursements under the Medical
Assistance program and a supplemental reimbursement under the Medical
Assistance program to public ambulance service providers though certified public
expenditures. Currently, the Department of Health Services administers the
Medical Assistance program, which is a joint federal and state program that provides
health services to individuals who have limited financial resources. Generally, under
the Medical Assistance program, the state provides its share of the funding for
benefits and the federal government then contributes its designated share of
funding, also known as federal financial participation.
The bill imposes on each ambulance service provider a fee for the privilege of
doing business in Wisconsin. The fee, as established by DHS is a percentage of the
ambulance service provider's net patient revenues from ground emergency
ambulance transports such that the total fee for a fiscal year is no less than one
quarter of 1 percent lower than the maximum limit for a provider fee under federal
regulation. DHS must obtain approval from the federal government, if necessary, to
obtain matching funds, and if federal approval is required, is prohibited from
collecting the fee until DHS receives that approval. The bill requires DHS to expend

the moneys collected from the fee assessment to supplement reimbursements to
ambulance service providers for services provided on a fee-for-service basis and
through managed care to Medical Assistance program recipients.
The bill also requires DHS to submit a state plan amendment to the federal
government to allow supplemental reimbursements under the Medical Assistance
program to public ambulance service providers for ground emergency medical
transportation through certified public expenditures. In certain circumstances
under the certified public expenditure process under current federal law, a public
provider may certify its costs for providing services to Medical Assistance recipients
that are in excess of the usual Medical Assistance reimbursement for those services
and then receive a supplement to cover otherwise unreimbursed costs.
For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be
printed as an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
AB874,1 1Section 1. 20.435 (4) (xm) of the statutes is created to read:
AB874,2,82 20.435 (4) (xm) Ambulance service provider trust fund; ambulance service
3provider payments.
From the ambulance service provider trust fund, all moneys
4received from the assessment under s. 256.23 (2), to supplement reimbursement of
5eligible ambulance service providers under s. 49.45 (3) (em) for services provided
6under the Medical Assistance Program under subch. IV of ch. 49 and to make
7payments to health maintenance organizations for their payments to eligible
8ambulance service providers.
AB874,2 9Section 2. 25.17 (1) (aj) of the statutes is created to read:
AB874,2,1010 25.17 (1) (aj) Ambulance service provider trust fund (s. 25.776);
AB874,3 11Section 3. 25.776 of the statutes is created to read:
AB874,2,15 1225.776 Ambulance service provider trust fund. There is created a
13separate nonlapsible trust fund designated as the ambulance service provider trust
14fund, consisting of all moneys received from fees from ambulance service providers
15under s. 256.23 (2).
AB874,4
1Section 4. 49.45 (3) (em) of the statutes is created to read:
AB874,3,62 49.45 (3) (em) The department shall expend moneys collected under s. 256.23
3(2) to supplement reimbursement for eligible ambulance service providers, as
4defined in s. 256.23 (1) (a), for services provided under the Medical Assistance
5program under this subchapter, including services reimbursed on a fee-for-service
6basis and provided under managed care, by eligible ambulance service providers.
AB874,5 7Section 5. 49.45 (15r) of the statutes is created to read:
AB874,3,238 49.45 (15r) Emergency medical transportation reimbursement. The
9department shall submit a state plan amendment to the federal department of
10health and human services to allow payment of supplemental reimbursements
11under the Medical Assistance program under this subchapter to public ambulance
12service providers, as defined in s. 256.01 (3), for ground emergency medical
13transportation through certified public expenditures. If the state plan amendment
14under this subsection is approved, the department shall pay to an ambulance service
15provider that complies with a certified public expenditure arrangement, as
16established by the department, a supplemental reimbursement equal to the amount
17of federal financial participation for ground emergency medical transportation
18services in accordance with state and federal law and regulations, except that the
19total reimbursement under the Medical Assistance program for the transportation
20may not exceed the actual cost to the ambulance service provider of providing the
21transportation. If the federal department of health and human services disapproves
22the state plan amendment, the department may not pay the supplement under this
23subsection.
AB874,6 24Section 6. 256.23 of the statutes is created to read:
AB874,3,25 25256.23 Ambulance service provider fee. (1) In this section:
AB874,4,2
1(a) “Eligible ambulance service provider” means any privately owned
2ambulance service provider.
AB874,4,33 (b) “Emergency ambulance transport” means all of the following:
AB874,4,74 1. Each ground emergency ambulance transport that requires the delivery of
5life support services, including basic life support or advanced life support, by an
6emergency medical responder or emergency medical services practitioner at any
7practice level.
AB874,4,98 2. Any other ambulance transport that is designated by the department to be
9subject to the fee under sub. (2).
AB874,4,17 10(2) For the privilege of doing business in this state, there is imposed on each
11eligible ambulance service provider a fee that is equal to a uniform percentage, as
12determined under sub. (3), of the eligible ambulance service provider's net patient
13revenues from emergency ambulance transports. Except as provided in sub. (4), each
14eligible ambulance service provider shall pay the fee under this subsection in a
15manner determined by the department acting in collaboration with the Professional
16Ambulance Association of Wisconsin, or its successor organization, no more
17frequently than quarterly.
AB874,4,23 18(3) The department shall establish the uniform percentage of the eligible
19ambulance service provider's net patient revenues so that the total amount of fees
20collected from an eligible ambulance service provider under sub. (2) in a state fiscal
21year is an amount not less than one quarter of 1 percent lower than the maximum
22limit for a provider fee under 42 CFR 433.68 (f) but does not exceed the maximum
23limit.
AB874,5,3
1(4) The department may allow an eligible ambulance service provider that is
2unable to make a payment of the fee by the date specified under sub. (2) to make a
3delayed payment.
AB874,5,9 4(5) In accordance with s. 20.940, the department shall submit to the federal
5department of health and human services a request for any state plan amendment,
6waiver or other approval that is required to implement this section and s. 49.45 (3)
7(em). If federal approval is required, the department may not implement the
8collection of the fee under sub. (2) until it receives approval from the federal
9government to obtain federal matching funds.
AB874,5,1010 (End)
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