July 22, 2009
CALL TO ACTION - Call Your Senators in Support of Including Medicare Ambulance Relief Extension in Health Care Reform Bill
TO: All Ambulance Service Professionals
FROM: Jim Finger, AAA President
RE: Extensions of Medicare Ambulance Relief
The time is now for you to CALL your Senators regarding including extensions of Medicare ambulance relief in health care reform legislation.
Please call your Senators even if they are already cosponsors of the Medicare Ambulance Access Preservation Act (S. 1066). The Senate Finance Committee has nearly finalized their draft bill on health care reform and it is uncertain as to whether Medicare ambulance relief is included. So please call your Senators today!
To access the AAA online phone call system, go to: http://capwiz.com/the-aaa/callalert/index.tt?alertid=13770741.
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 call their Senators and ask that they support including Medicare ambulance relief in health care reform legislation and that, if they have not done so already, they also cosponsor the Medicare Ambulance Access Preservation Act (S. 1066).
Call Your Senators
The AAA online phone call tool will take only minutes for you to call the offices of your two Senators. All you will need to do is enter your zip ode and the tool will determine your Senators and provide their phone numbers and talking points. Once you are done with one call, it will direct you to details for your other Senator.
To access the AAA online phone call system, go to: http://capwiz.com/the-aaa/callalert/index.tt?alertid=13770741.
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 phone call system, go to: http://capwiz.com/the-aaa/callalert/index.tt?alertid=13770741.
Current Cosponsors of the MAAPA
Since our last report, Senators Mark Pryor (D-AR) and Kit Bond (R-MO) and Congressmen Dale Kildee (D-MI) and Tim Murphy (R-PA) have been officially added as cosponsors of the Medicare Ambulance Access Preservation Act (S. 1066, H.R. 2443) and Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC) has pledged to cosponsor the bill. Below is a list, current as of today, by state of members of Congress who have officially been added as cosponsors or who have given a commitment to cosponsor.
AL: Sen. Jeff Sessions
AR: Sen. Blanche Lincoln, Sen. Mark Pryor
CA: Rep. Devin Nunes
KS: Sen. Pat Roberts
LA: Sen. Mary Landrieu
ME: Sen. Susan Collins
MA: Sen. John Kerry, Rep. Richard Neal
MI: Sen. Debbie Stabenow, Rep. Fred Upton, Rep. Dale Kildee
MN: Sen. Amy Klobuchar
MO: Sen. Kit Bond
MT: Sen. Jon Tester
NV: Rep. Shelley Berkley
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
VT: Sen. Patrick Leahy, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Rep. Peter Welch
To access the AAA online phone call system, go to: http://capwiz.com/the-aaa/callalert/index.tt?alertid=13770741.
Please Call Your Senators Today! |
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