SENATE HEALTH, HUMAN SERVICES AND SENIOR CITIZENS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 1423

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  MARCH 14, 2024

      The Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Senate Bill No. 1423.

      As amended, this bill establishes a minimum Medicaid reimbursement rate of $300 for basic life support emergency ambulance transportation services, an increase of $242 from the State’s existing rate of $58 per transport. 

      As amended, the bill also provides that, beginning on July 1, 2024, the ground ambulance mileage reimbursement rate within the Medicaid program will be no less than $8.94 for each loaded mile during the emergency transportation of a Medicaid beneficiary.  The ground ambulance mileage reimbursement rate established by the bill would be annually adjusted in each subsequent fiscal year to a rate equal to the ground ambulance mileage rate set for Medicare as of July 1 in the corresponding fiscal year. 

      This bill was prefiled for introduction in the 2024-2025 session pending technical review.  As reported, the bill includes the changes required by technical review, which has been performed.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee amended the bill to raise the minimum Medicaid reimbursement rate for basic life support emergency ambulance transportation services to $300, from $58.  As introduced, the bill raised the rate to $200.

      The committee added a new section 2 to the bill which provides that, beginning on July 1, 2024, the ground ambulance mileage reimbursement rate within the Medicaid program will be no less than $8.94 for each loaded mile during the emergency transportation of a Medicaid beneficiary.  The ground ambulance mileage reimbursement rate established by the bill would be annually adjusted in each subsequent fiscal year to a rate equal to the ground ambulance mileage rate under Medicare as of July 1 in the corresponding fiscal year. 

      The committee amendments revise the bill’s synopsis to reflect these changes.