H.R. 6082 would amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for expanded coverage of paramedic intercept services under the Medicare Program.

== Detailed Summary ==

<summary>
(LogMedicare Paramedic Intercept Services Coverage Act of 2008 - Amends the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 to revise requirements for payment for paramedic intercept service providers in rural communities.

Changes from discretionary to editmandatory the wikiauthority of the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in promulgating regulations for coverage of ambulance services, to cover advanced life support intercept services (ALS intercept services), regardless of the area involved. (Currently they must be provided in a rural area).

Includes new conditions of coverage that define ALS intercept services as consisting of a qualified paramedic providing ALS level services in connection with the firsttransport of a patient by an ambulance qualified to provide only a detailed summarybasic life support level of services.

Requires that: (1) the bill!)entity providing the ambulance transportation be a public, non-profit, or volunteer organization; and (2) the paramedic providing such services is not employed or compensated by the entity providing the ambulance transportation. (Currently the ALS intercept services must be provided under a contract with one or more volunteer ambulance services which are required to be prohibited by state law from billing for any such services.)

Requires, in addition, that: (1) such services be medically necessary based on the medical condition for which they are dispatched (currently they must be medically necessary based on the health condition of the individual being transported); and (2) the paramedic providing the intercept services accompanies and provides an ALS assessment or ALS intervention to the patient during the transport.

Prohibits the Secretary from taking into account any payments made pursuant to this Act in determining payment amounts under the Medicare ambulance fee schedule, or the aggregate amount of payments under such fee schedule, for any year.
</summary>

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== Status of the Legislation ==

<status>
(Log inLatest Major Action: 5/19/2008: Referred to edit the wiki and be the firstHouse subcommittee. Status: Referred to update the status of the bill!)Subcommittee on Health.
</status>

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== Points in Favor ==

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== Points Against ==

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