Notice: This CMS-approved document has been submitted - Philips ...

CMS-1403-FC
31, 2009 amounts for ground ambulance services shall be
increased as follows:
● For covered ground ambulance transports which
originate in a rural area or in a rural census tract of a
metropolitan statistical area, the fee schedule amounts
shall be increased by 3 percent; and
● For covered ground ambulance transports which do
not originate in a rural area or in a rural census tract of
a metropolitan statistical area, the fee schedule amounts
shall be increased by 2 percent.
We are revising §414.610(c)(1) to conform the
regulations to this statutory requirement. This statutory
requirement is self-implementing. A plain reading of the
statute requires only a ministerial application of the
mandated rate increase, and does not require any
substantive exercise of discretion on the part of the
Secretary. We note that in adding language to
§414.610(c)(1) to set forth this statutory requirement, we
have also divided it into 2 paragraphs for purposes of
clarity.
In addition, section 146(b)(1) of the MIPPA specifies
that any area that was designated as a rural area for
purposes of making payments under the ambulance fee
schedule for air ambulance services furnished on
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