Medi-Cal: ambulance transportation services.

Existing law provides for the Medi-Cal program, which is administered by the State Department of Health Care Services, and under which qualified low-income individuals receive health care services, including ambulance transportation services. Existing law and regulations prescribe various requirements governing payment policies and reimbursement rates for these services. This bill would enact the Ambulance Payment Reform Act of 2009, which would, notwithstanding any other provision of law, provide that emergency basic life support and advanced life support services are covered under the Medi-Cal program when, as determined by the department, a patient could reasonably expect that an absence of immediate medical attention would result in significant adverse health effects, as provided. The bill would require the department to develop rates for specified emergency and nonemergency ambulance transportation services, but would prohibit these rates from exceeding the amount charged for these services to the general public. The bill would also require the department to adjust the rates each year in accordance with the California Consumer Price Index.