Public Act 095-0501
 		





SB1350 Enrolled
LRB095 10902 DRJ 31188 b






    AN ACT concerning public aid.

 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
 
represented in the General Assembly:


 
    Section 5. The Illinois Public Aid Code is amended  by 
changing Section 5-4.2 as follows:
 



    (305 ILCS 5/5-4.2)  (from Ch. 23, par. 5-4.2)



    Sec. 5-4.2. Ambulance services payments. For
ambulance

services provided to a recipient of aid under this Article on 
or after
January 1, 1993, the Illinois Department shall 
reimburse ambulance service
providers at rates calculated in 
accordance with this Section. It is the intent
of the General 
Assembly to provide adequate reimbursement for ambulance

services so as to ensure adequate access to services for 
recipients of aid
under this Article and to provide appropriate 
incentives to ambulance service
providers to provide services 
in an efficient and cost-effective manner.  Thus,
it is the 
intent of the General Assembly that the Illinois Department 
implement
a reimbursement system for ambulance services that, 
to the extent practicable
and subject to the availability of 
funds appropriated by the General Assembly
for this purpose, is 
consistent with the payment principles of Medicare.  To
ensure 
uniformity between the payment principles of Medicare and 
Medicaid, the
Illinois Department shall follow, to the extent 
necessary and practicable and
subject to the availability of 
funds appropriated by the General Assembly for
this purpose, 
the statutes, laws, regulations, policies, procedures,

principles, definitions, guidelines, and manuals used to 
determine the amounts
paid to ambulance service providers under 
Title XVIII of the Social Security
Act (Medicare).

    For ambulance services provided to a recipient of aid under 
this Article
on or after January 1, 1996, the Illinois 
Department shall reimburse ambulance
service providers based 
upon the actual distance traveled if a natural
disaster, 
weather conditions, road repairs, or traffic congestion 
necessitates
the use of a
route other than the most direct 
route.

    For purposes of this Section, "ambulance services" 
includes medical
transportation services provided by means of 
an ambulance, medi-car, service
car, or
taxi.

    This Section does not prohibit separate billing by 
ambulance service
providers for oxygen furnished while 
providing advanced life support
services.

    Beginning with services rendered on or after July 1, 2008, 
all providers of non-emergency medi-car and service car 
transportation must certify that the driver and employee 
attendant, as applicable, have completed a safety program 
approved by the Department to protect both the patient and the 
driver, prior to transporting a patient.
The provider must 
maintain this certification in its records.  The provider shall 
produce such documentation upon demand by the Department or its 
representative.  Failure to produce documentation of such 
training shall result in recovery of any payments made by the 
Department for services rendered by a non-certified driver or 
employee attendant.  Medi-car and service car providers must 
maintain legible documentation in their records of the driver 
and, as applicable, employee attendant that actually 
transported the patient.  Providers must recertify all drivers 
and employee attendants every 3 years.

    Notwithstanding the requirements above, any public 
transportation provider of medi-car and service car 
transportation that receives federal funding under 49 U.S.C. 
5307 and 5311 need not certify its drivers and employee 
attendants under this Section, since safety training is already 
federally mandated.

(Source: P.A. 88-104; 89-43, eff. 1-1-96.)

 

    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 
becoming law.