BILL NUMBER: AB 1932	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN SENATE  AUGUST 4, 2010
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MAY 28, 2010
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MAY 3, 2010
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 15, 2010
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 5, 2010

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Hernandez

                        FEBRUARY 17, 2010

   An act to add Article 5.7 (commencing with Section 14186) to
Chapter 7 of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions
Code, relating to Medi-Cal.



	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 1932, as amended, Hernandez. Medi-Cal: ambulance transportation
services: reimbursement: service levels.
   Existing law provides for the Medi-Cal program, which is
administered by the State Department of Health Care Services, under
which health care services, including medical transportation
services, are provided to qualified low-income persons. The Medi-Cal
program is partially governed and funded under federal Medicaid
provisions. Existing law and regulations prescribe various
requirements governing payment policies and reimbursement rates for
these services.
   This bill would authorize the department to utilize certain
service levels for purposes of determining  reimbursement
rates   billing codes  for emergency and
nonemergency basic life and advance life support transportation and
specialty care transportation. If the department utilizes the
aforementioned service levels  to determine billing codes  ,
this bill would require the department to  , by June 30, 2011,
 adopt the definitions and Healthcare Common Procedure Coding
System codes for those service levels that have been established by
the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services  , and to
determine the above described billing codes in a revenue-neutral
manner  .
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  Article 5.7 (commencing with Section 14186) is added to
Chapter 7 of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions
Code, to read:

      Article 5.7.  Service Levels for Ambulance Transportation
Reimbursement Rates


   14186.  (a) For purposes of determining  reimbursement
rates   billing codes  for emergency and
nonemergency basic life and advanced life support transportation and
specialty care transportation, the department may utilize the
following service levels:
   (1) Advanced Life Support, Nonemergency Transport.
   (2) Advanced Life Support, Emergency Transport, Level 1.
   (3) Basic Life Support, Nonemergency Transport.
   (4) Basic Life Support, Emergency Transport.
   (5) Advanced Life Support, Level 2.
   (6) Specialty Care Transport.
   (b) If the department utilizes the ground ambulance service levels
listed in subdivision (a), the department shall  , by June 30,
2011,  adopt the definitions for those ground ambulance service
levels that have been established by the federal Centers for Medicare
and Medicaid Services (CMS) in Section 30.1.1 of Chapter 10 of the
Medicare Benefit Policy Manual and the Healthcare Common Procedure
Coding System (HCPCS) codes established by CMS in Section 30 of
Chapter 15 of the Medicare Claims Processing Manual for ground
ambulance services delivered to Medicare beneficiaries. 
   (c) If the department utilizes the ground ambulance service levels
listed in subdivision (a) for purposes of determining billing codes,
the department shall determine the billing codes in a
revenue-neutral manner.