119-hr4792

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4792 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

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119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 4792

 To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to revise payment for 
 air ambulance services under the Medicare program.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 July 29, 2025

Mr. Estes (for himself and Ms. DelBene) 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

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to revise payment for 
 air ambulance services under the Medicare program.

 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 ``Protecting Air Ambulance Services 
for Americans Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. IMPROVEMENTS TO MEDICARE PAYMENT SYSTEM FOR AIR AMBULANCE 
 SERVICES.

 

Section 1834
            (l) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395m
            (l) ) is 
amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
 ``

    (18) Improvements to medicare payment system for air 
 ambulance services.--
 ``
        (A) In general.--The Secretary may revise the fee 
 schedule otherwise established under this subsection 
 for air ambulance services based on data described in 
 subparagraph
        (B) and data collected under subparagraph
            (C) .
 ``
        (B) Data described.--For purposes of subparagraph
        (A) , the data described in this subparagraph is data 
 collected pursuant to the provisions of, and amendments 
 made by, 

section 106 of division BB of the Consolidated 
 Appropriations Act, 2021 (Public Law 116-260).
 ``
            (C) Additional data collection.--The Secretary 
 shall require, once every 3 years, providers of 
 services and suppliers furnishing air ambulance 
 services to submit to the Secretary--
 ``
            (i) data relating to the fixed and 
 operated costs per air ambulance base 
 attributable to furnishing air ambulance 
 services to individuals enrolled under this 
 part and data relating to the utilization of 
 such services by such individuals;
 ``
            (ii) data relating to the revenue 
 obtained by such providers and suppliers under 
 this part attributable to the furnishing of 
 such services; and
 ``
            (iii) any other information determined 
 appropriate by the Secretary.
 ``
            (D) Consultation.--In the case that the Secretary 
 elects to revise the fee schedule for air ambulance 
 services under subparagraph
        (A) , the Secretary shall 
 consider stakeholder input in a process that is 
 transparent and appropriately considers data described 
 in subparagraph
        (B) and data collected under 
 subparagraph
            (C) .''.

SEC. 3. TIMELY FINALIZATION OF AIR AMBULANCE DATA COLLECTION RULE.

 Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall finalize and publish a 
final rule implementing the air ambulance data collection requirements 
under 

section 106 of division BB of the Consolidated Appropriations 
Act, 2021 (Public Law 116-260).

SEC. 4. GAO STUDY ON EMERGENCY AIR AMBULANCE COSTS.

 Not later than 1 year after the date on which data begins to be 
collected pursuant to the provisions of, and amendments made by, 

section 106 of division BB of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 
(Public Law 116-260), the Comptroller General of the United States 
shall submit to the Committee on Finance of the Senate and the 
Committee on Ways and Means and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of 
the House of Representatives, a report detailing--

    (1) the average annual operating costs per air ambulance 
 base;

    (2) the average cost per transport by air ambulance;

    (3) the payor mix for air ambulance services;

    (4) the adequacy of Medicare payments for such services;

    (5) geographic variations in the cost of furnishing such 
 services; and

    (6) recommendations on improving the fee schedule under 
 

section 1834
            (l) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395m
            (l) ) 
 for air ambulance services.
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