HHS Announces Groundbreaking EMS Payment Reform: ET3 Model

We are very pleased to report on an exciting breakthrough for EMS that was announced today by HHS Secretary Alex Azar. Beginning in early 2020, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) will offer a new payment model for EMS to allow Medicare Fee-For-Service (FFS) beneficiaries to receive the most appropriate level of care at the right time and place with the potential for lower out-of-pocket costs. The new model – Emergency Triage, Treat and Transport (ET3) Model – will make it possible for participating ambulance suppliers and providers to partner with qualified healthcare practitioners to deliver treatment in place (either on-the-scene or through telehealth) and with alternative destination sites (such as primary care doctors’ offices or urgent-care clinics) to provide care for Medicare beneficiaries following a medical emergency for which they have accessed 911 services. In doing so, the model seeks to engage healthcare providers across the care continuum to more appropriately and effectively meet beneficiaries’ needs. Additionally, the model will encourage development of medical triage lines for low-acuity 911 calls in regions where participating ambulance suppliers and providers operate. The ET3 Model will have a five-year performance period, extending through 2025.   Currently, Medicare primarily pays for unscheduled, emergency ground ambulance services when beneficiaries ar...
Source: JEMS: Journal of Emergency Medical Services News - Category: Emergency Medicine Tags: News Administration and Leadership Source Type: news