To amend section 4531(c) of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 to permit payment for ALS intercept services furnished in areas other than rural areas, and for other purposes.

February 12, 2002

Mrs. KELLY introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

To amend section 4531(c) of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 to permit payment for ALS intercept services furnished in areas other than rural areas, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Medicare Paramedic Intercept Service Equity Act of 2002'.

SEC. 2. EXPANSION OF COVERAGE OF MEDICARE PARAMEDIC INTERCEPT SERVICES.

(a) EXPANSION OF PAYMENT AREAS-

(1) IN GENERAL- Section 4531(c) of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (42 U.S.C. 1395x(s)(7) note, 111 Stat. 452) is amended in the matter preceding paragraph (1) by striking `in a rural area'.

(2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT- The heading of such section is amended by striking `IN RURAL COMMUNITIES'.

(b) PAYMENTS NOT COUNTED IN COMPUTING AMBULANCE FEE SCHEDULE- Payments attributable to the amendment made by subsection (a)(1) shall not be taken into account in determining an aggregate amount of payments under section 1834(l)(3)(A) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395m(l)(3)(A)).

(c) EFFECTIVE DATE- The amendments made by this section apply with respect to services furnished on or after the date of the enactment of this Act.

END