BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 2406
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB 2406 (Rodriguez)
As Amended May 23, 2014
Majority vote
HEALTH 13-0 APPROPRIATIONS 12-0
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|Ayes:|Pan, Ammiano, Atkins, |Ayes:|Gatto, Bocanegra, |
| |Bonilla, Chesbro, Gomez, | |Bradford, |
| |Gonzalez, | |Ian Calderon, Campos, |
| |Roger Hernández, | |Eggman, Gomez, Holden, |
| |Nazarian, Patterson, | |Pan, Quirk, |
| |Ridley-Thomas, | |Ridley-Thomas, Weber |
| |Wieckowski, Bocanegra | | |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Requires the Emergency Medical Services Authority
(EMSA) to prepare and submit a report to the Legislature, no
later than December 1, 2015, identifying programs that have been
implemented in the state by local emergency medical services
agencies that address the misuse of the emergency medical
services (EMS) system in California. Allows EMSA, in lieu of a
report, to provide for a discussion of innovative programs
before LEMSAs and private agencies that address the misuse of
EMS.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee, up to $135,000 General Fund to EMSA in staff costs in
order to produce the required report.
COMMENTS : According to the author, several counties and
agencies in California have adopted programs that have greatly
reduced nonessential use of EMS transportation and emergency
department visits. The author further states that these
programs not only save scarce health care resources, but also
provide humanitarian outreach to a largely vulnerable population
of patients by directing them to appropriate services at proper
levels of care. Requiring EMSA to identify programs that have
been implemented throughout the state to address EMS frequent
users and to prepare and submit a report to the Legislature will
provide program information and a format to other counties and
agencies to assist them in implementing their own programs to
AB 2406
Page 2
rein in unnecessary medical costs. The author argues that the
misuse of ambulance transportation and EMS services in
California, by those commonly referred to as "frequent flyers"
cost taxpayers millions of dollars annually and stress already
overloaded hospital emergency departments by unnecessarily
transporting non-acutely ill or injured patients when more
appropriate and less costly transport and care settings may be
available.
Analysis Prepared by : Patty Rodgers / HEALTH / (916) 319-2097
FN: 0003750