PRINTER'S NO. 805
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE RESOLUTION
No.
120
Session of
2023
INTRODUCED BY BROOKS, BARTOLOTTA, HUTCHINSON, DUSH AND FARRY,
JUNE 2, 2023
REFERRED TO HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, JUNE 2, 2023
A RESOLUTION
Directing the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to
conduct a study on the emergency medical services providers
in this Commonwealth and the financial impact of
nonreimbursable services for emergency response calls not
resulting in a medical assistance beneficiary receiving
transportation to a hospital or treatment facility and to
issue a report of its findings and recommendations to the
Senate.
WHEREAS, According to the Office of Attorney General, 5,168
Pennsylvanians died from overdoses in 2021; and
WHEREAS, On average, 15 Pennsylvanians died every day from an
overdose in 2021; and
WHEREAS, The introduction of overdose reversal medications
and Statewide orders to ensure free access to these tools in
2015 for emergency personnel has undoubtedly saved thousands of
lives throughout this Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, Emergency medical services providers are required to
carry overdose reversal products like Naloxone and to administer
them free of charge to those they treat; and
WHEREAS, The substance-use-related calls that do not result
in a transport to a hospital or treatment facility are costly to
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the emergency medical services providers on scene who are not
reimbursed by the medical assistance program for their response
or the treatment that they provide to medical assistance
beneficiaries; and
WHEREAS, The intent of this resolution is to collect data
that will support policy changes to make emergency medical
services providers financially whole because their communities,
constituents and health care systems depend on them; therefore
be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate direct the Legislative Budget and
Finance Committee to conduct a study on the emergency medical
services providers in this Commonwealth and the financial impact
of nonreimbursable services for emergency response calls not
resulting in a medical assistance beneficiary receiving
transportation to a hospital or treatment facility and to issue
a report of its findings and recommendations to the Senate; and
be it further
RESOLVED, That the study include all of the following, using
the most recent data available, regarding the medical assistance
program in Pennsylvania:
(1) The average dollar amount that managed care
organizations contracted to provide services to medical
assistance program beneficiaries reimburses emergency medical
services providers, pursuant to Act 103 of 2018, for all
reasonably necessary costs associated with emergency medical
services provided during the period of an emergency, subject
to all copayments, coinsurances or deductibles, when the
beneficiary did not require transport or refused to be
transported.
(2) Approximately how many beneficiaries were treated by
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emergency medical services providers and did not require
transport or refused to be transported.
(3) Approximately how many beneficiaries were treated
for a substance-use-related overdose by emergency medical
services providers and did not require transport or refused
to be transported.
(4) The approximate number of emergency response calls
in which services were rendered by an emergency medical
services provider and the beneficiary did not require
transport or refused to be transported, and in which the
emergency medical services provider was not paid, whether
partially or in full, for the services rendered.
(5) The approximate average time spent by emergency
medical services providers at emergency response calls that
involve a beneficiary who did not require transport or
refused to be transported.
(6) The approximate cost incurred by emergency medical
services providers for an emergency response call that
involved a beneficiary who did not require transport or
refused transport, for any other rationale than a substance-
use-related overdose.
(7) Consideration of any other factors that enables the
General Assembly to evaluate and determine how to ensure that
emergency medical services providers in this Commonwealth are
being fairly and justly paid for their services;
and be it further
RESOLVED, That the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee
report its findings to the General Assembly no later than March
1, 2024.
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