By Laura French
BALTIMORE — The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have announced a one-year delay in the Ambulance Cost Data Collection period for the first round of program participants.
CMS stated that ground ambulance services selected to begin collecting data between Jan. 1, 2020 and Dec. 31, 2020 can now select a 12-month period beginning between Jan 1, 2021 and Dec. 31, 2021 to collect and report cost data.
“CMS is modifying this data collection and reporting period to increase flexibilities for ground ambulance organizations that would otherwise be required to collect data in 2020-2021 so that they can focus on their operations and patient care,” CMS stated in the announcement of blanket waivers for healthcare providers during the COVID-19 national emergency declaration.
Under the change, services selected for year 1 and year 2 data collection will be collecting data around the same time period.
NAEMT President Matt Zavadsky said the association will be inquiring whether agencies will be able to select a time period allowing them to report increased costs and decreased revenue caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
See the CMS announcement on these changes starting on page 29 of the document below: