Ambulance Fee Schedule - Ground Ambulance Services: Revision to the Specialty Care Transport (SCT) Definition
Effective Date: January 1, 2007
Implementation Date: April 30, 2007
WPS is updating AMB-001 Ambulance Services National Coverage Provision (NCP). Summary of Changes: Change Request (CR) 5533, Transmittal 68 revises the SCT definition to include the term "interfacility."
In the December 1, 2006 (71 FR 69716) final rule, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) expanded the definition of "interfacility" to include both hospitals and Skilled Nursing facilities (SNFs). In addition, CMS further clarified the kinds of facilities that CMS includes as origin or destination points for "interfacility" transport for SCT purposes. Therefore, for purposes of SCT payment, CMS considers a "facility" to include only a SNF or a hospital that participates in the Medicare program, or a hospital-based facility that meets CMS' requirements for provider-based status. Medicare hospitals include, but are not limited to, rehabilitation hospitals, cancer hospitals, children's hospitals, psychiatric hospitals, critical access hospitals (CAHs), inpatient acute-care hospitals, and sole community hospitals (SCHs).
To view CR 5533 in its entirety, please refer to the following CMS Website:
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/transmittals/downloads/R68BP.pdf 
The asterisked (*) text indicates changes made since the last publication date. All other information remains the same. Please refer to the updated AMB-001, Ambulance Services National Coverage Provision on the following WPS Medicare Website:
http://www.wpsmedicare.com/part_b/policy/policy_active.shtml
Page Last Updated: Thursday, 18-Mar-2010 05:55:29 CDT
