FAC engages on a number of issues affecting county ambulance providers and local systems of health care. We have fought to maintain a countywide regulatory system for licensing EMS providers through the Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (COPCN) process and worked to make statutory changes to allow for direct billing with health insurance companies. FAC monitors laws and rules outlining Automatic External Defibrillator regulation and training to ensure that local EMS providers are not adversely impacted.
Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity
Any entity wishing to obtain a license for pre-hospital or inter-facility advanced life support services or basic life support transportation services is required to obtain a COPCN from each county in which the applicant will operate.
Assignment of Benefits
During the 2008 Legislative Session, FAC was successful in passing legislation that allowed for the direct payment of benefits to EMS providers who may be outside of a health insurance company’s network. The legislation simply requires that the insurer honor the patient’s request to have payments for EMS services sent directly to a provider. This practice will save the EMS system the cost of attempting to collect payment from the patient and mitigate associated bad debt.
Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) Regulation
Each year, the Legislature files legislation to regulate the placement and training requirements for AEDs. FAC monitors these bills to ensure that they do not unnecessarily burden county EMS providers.