Ambulances Services Center

Spotlights

Ambulance Fee Schedule: Calendar Year (CY) 2023 Ambulance Inflation Factor & Productivity Adjustment

The Ambulance Inflation Factor for CY 2023 is 8.7%. For more information, see the instruction to your Medicare Administrative Contractor (PDF).

2 Calendar Year (CY) 2023 Final Rules About Ambulance Services:

CY 2023 Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) final rule: https://www.federalregister.gov/public-inspection/2022-23873/medicare-and-medicaid-programs-cy-2023-payment-policies-under-the-physician-fee-schedule-and-other

CMS finalized a series of changes to the Medicare Ground Ambulance Data Collection System. First, we updated our regulations at § 414.626(d)(1) and (e)(2) to provide the necessary flexibility to specify how ground ambulance organizations should submit the hardship exemption requests and informal review requests, including to our web-based portal once that portal is operational. Second, we  finalized further changes and clarifications to the Medicare Ground Ambulance Data Collection Instrument.

CY 2023 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Ambulatory Surgical Center final rule: https://www.federalregister.gov/public-inspection/2022-23918/medicare-program-hospital-outpatient-prospective-payment-and-ambulatory-surgical-center-payment

CMS finalized its proposals to include REHs as a covered origin and destination for ambulance transport under the Ambulance Fee Schedule and that a REH that owns and operates an ambulance transportation may enroll in Medicare as an ambulance provider and receive payment under the Ambulance Fee Schedule if all coverage and payment requirements are met.

Updated Information on the Medicare Ground Ambulance Data Collection System (GADCS):

CMS has posted the following documents:

1. GADCS User Guide that walks you through the GADCS. 
2. Lists of Year 3 and Year 4 selected ground ambulance organizations. These organizations will receive notification letters via email and regular mail from their Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) starting in December 2022.
3. Revised Medicare Ground Ambulance Data Collection Instrument which includes the changes that were finalized in the CY 2023 PFS Final Rule.
4. Revised Facilities and Vehicle Templates.  We revised the templates that we presented on our August 4, 2022 webinar.
5. A copy of the Hardship Exemption Request Form.

6. Revised GADCS Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document.

7. Ground Ambulance Industry Trends, 2017– 2020 Report: Analysis of Medicare Fee-for-Service Claims.

Contact Us  

• Subscribe for email updates
• General ambulance inquiries: email AmbulanceODF@cms.hhs.gov
• Ground ambulance data collection inquiries: email AmbulanceDataCollection@cms.hhs.gov
• Regional office inquiries: email FeeForServiceQuestions@cms.hhs.gov

Upcoming Events

Medicare Ground Ambulance Data Collection System (GADCS) Webinar: Overview of the Data Submitter Role on Thursday, December 8, 2022 2:00 PM- 3:00 pm ET.

To register for this Zoom webinar:

https://cms.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_mB15Y_nSRY2XRD69wnee-g

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

During this call, CMS will provide an overview of the Data Submitter role in the GADCS portal. While everyone is welcome to listen in to this webinar and participate, this session will be most relevant to selected ground ambulance organizations in Year 1 and Year 2 who are required to report their data beginning in 2023.

A question-and-answer session will follow this presentation. You may send questions in advance to AmbulanceDataCollection@cms.hhs.gov with “December 8 Submitter Role Webinar” in the subject line. We intend to answer questions submitted in advance during the call and participants may also submit live questions using the “Q&A” button at the bottom of your Zoom screen.

For more information, including the list of ground ambulance organizations selected in Year 1 and Year 2 that are required to collect information starting in 2022 and report information starting in 2023, and also the list of selected organizations in Year 3 and 4 that are required to collect information starting in 2023 and report information starting in 2024 see the GADCS webpage, the CY 2023 PFS final Rule, the CY 2020 PFS final rule, and the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018.

Medicare Ground Ambulance Data Collection System (GADCS) Webinar: Overview of the Data Certifier Role on Thursday, December 15, 2022 2:00 PM- 3:00 pm ET.

Register in advance for this webinar:

https://cms.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_kbIjmkF-Qre9Kx9LM0qLdQ

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

During this call, CMS will provide an overview of the Data Certifier role in the GADCS portal.  While everyone is welcome to listen in to this webinar and participate, this session will be most relevant to individuals that will be certifying the data for selected ground ambulance organizations in Year 1 and Year 2 who are required to report their data beginning in 2023.

A question-and-answer session will follow this presentation. You may send questions in advance to AmbulanceDataCollection@cms.hhs.gov with “December 15 Certifier Role Webinar” in the subject line. We intend to answer questions submitted in advance during the call and participants may also submit live questions using the “Q&A” button at the bottom of your Zoom screen.

For more information, including the list of ground ambulance organizations selected in Year 1 and Year 2 that are required to collect information starting in 2022 and report information starting in 2023, and also the list of selected organizations in Year 3 and 4 that are required to collect information starting in 2023 and report information starting in 2024 see the GADCS webpage, the CY 2023 PFS final Rule, the CY 2020 PFS final rule, and the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018.

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Medicare Ground Ambulance Data Collection System  

Effective January 1, 2020-2024, CMS will select ground ambulance providers and suppliers to participate in the Medicare Ground Ambulance Data Collection System (GADCS). Get more Medicare GADCS information and resources.

COVID-19 Information:

• COVID-19 FAQs on Medicare Fee For Service Billing (PDF): See page 48 for Ambulance Services FAQs
• COVID-19 Emergency Declaration Blanket Waivers (PDF) : This revised modification to the data collection periods and data reporting periods impacts ground ambulance organizations that CMS selected for Years 1-2 of the Medicare Ground Ambulance Data Collection System: See page 32
  • Ambulance Treat in Place: See page 33
• Get more resources on COVID-19