When Minutes Count for Emergency Medical Patients Act

HR 3443 creates a new Medicare payment model to provide supplemental funding for ground and air ambulance services that administer specific life-saving medications (like epinephrine, lidocaine, and blood products) during emergencies. It directly affects EMS agencies serving Medicare beneficiaries by requiring them to apply for participation, meet data reporting standards (including patient outcomes and service metrics), and receive monthly or quarterly supplemental payments based on costs for maintaining medication supplies and data systems. The model runs for at least 5 years, with a requirement for a congressional report analyzing whether the payments improve medication access, patient outcomes, and care quality - especially for rural and underserved communities. The bill also mandates a MedPAC report on EMS payment structures and EMTALA guidance to reduce "wall time" delays in hospital handoffs.