Advisory Committee on Air Ambulance Quality and Patient Safety

No Surprises Act- Overview

Title I (No Surprises Act) of Division BB of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (CAA), requires the Secretaries of HHS, DOT to jointly establish an Advisory Committee on Air Ambulance Quality and Patient Safety Advisory Committee (AAQPS). The Committee must be established, operated, and staffed in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA).

Air Ambulance Quality and Patient Safety FACA Committee

The No Surprises Act (Section 106(g)), enacted as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Secretary of the Transportation (DOT) to establish and convene an advisory committee for the purpose of reviewing options to establish quality, patient safety, and clinical capability standards for each clinical capability level of air ambulances. This notice announces the establishment of the Air Ambulance Quality and Patient Safety Advisory Committee (the Advisory Committee) and solicits nominations for membership on the Advisory Committee. The AAQPS Advisory Committee was to be established by March 27, 2021, and the Committee’s recommendations must be reported to the Secretaries and to certain members of Congress within 180 days of the Committee’s first meeting.

CMS will lead the efforts to establish and operate the Committee. Thereafter, HHS and CMS assigned the Center for Clinical Standards and Quality (CCSQ) responsibility for performing HHS’s duties in relation to the Committee.

Main Committee Members

Jeff Richey- HHS Secretary’s Designee/Representative

Robert Reckert- DoT Secretary’s Designee/Representative

Ben Clayton- DoT Representative 

Colonel Steven L. Coffee - Patient Advocate 

Dr. Jordan Pritzker- Group Health Plans and Health Insurance Issuers​

Dr. Mark Gamber- HHS Representative

Dr. William Hinckley- Healthcare Provider 

Eileen Frazer- Accrediting bodies

Grace Arnold- State Insurance Regulator

Jason Clark- HHS Representative 

Jason Quisling- DoT Representative 

Jim Houser- DoT Representative 

Paul Julander- DoT Representative 

Thomas Judge- DoT Representative

Subcommittee Members

Cllinical Standards

Kolby Kolbet- Life Link III

Keith McMinn- Penn State Health, Life Lion

Emily Colyer- Air Methods

Michelle Greeson- University of Vermont Health Network

Krista Haugen- Survivors Network for the Air Medical Community

Todd McDowell- State of Alaska

Frankie Toon- AirMed, University of Utah Hospitals and Clinics

Flight Safety 

Robert Reckert- DoT Secretary’s Designee/Representative

Ben Clayton- DoT Representative 

Jason Quisling- DoT Representative 

Jim Houser- DoT Representative 

Paul Julander- DoT Representative 

Thomas Judge- DoT Representative 

Meetings

• Informational Webinar. October 17, 2024, 2pm ET (1pm CT, 12pm MT, 11am PT)
  • Meeting Materials are located in the “Downloads” section.
• AAQPS Committee Public Meeting. December 12, 2024, 10am-5pm ET (Virtual)_
  • Meeting Materials are located in the “Downloads” section.
• AAQPS Committee Public Meeting. May 8, 2025, 10am-5pm (virtual)
  • Meeting Materials are located in the “Downloads” section.
• AAQPS Committee Public Meeting. July 10, 2025, 10am-5pm (virtual)
  • The purpose of the third AAQPS Committee Public Meeting is to confirm recommendations to establish quality, patient safety, and clinical capability standards for each clinical capability level of air ambulances. Please register here to attend the public meeting: Register Now 

Contact us

AAQPS@cms.hhs.gov

Public comments will be accepted via this email until July 30, 2025.