103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 HB3048 Introduced , by Rep. Lance Yednock SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 305 ILCS 5/5-5.7b Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Removes ambulance and EMS agencies that are privately held from the definition of "qualifying ground ambulance service provider". LRB103 29926 KTG 56340 b A BILL FOR 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 HB3048 Introduced , by Rep. Lance Yednock SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 305 ILCS 5/5-5.7b 305 ILCS 5/5-5.7b Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Removes ambulance and EMS agencies that are privately held from the definition of "qualifying ground ambulance service provider". LRB103 29926 KTG 56340 b LRB103 29926 KTG 56340 b A BILL FOR
103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 HB3048 Introduced , by Rep. Lance Yednock SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
305 ILCS 5/5-5.7b 305 ILCS 5/5-5.7b
305 ILCS 5/5-5.7b
Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Removes ambulance and EMS agencies that are privately held from the definition of "qualifying ground ambulance service provider".
LRB103 29926 KTG 56340 b LRB103 29926 KTG 56340 b
LRB103 29926 KTG 56340 b
A BILL FOR
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HB3048 LRB103 29926 KTG 56340 b
1 AN ACT concerning public aid.
2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
4 Section 5. The Illinois Public Aid Code is amended by
5 changing Section 5-5.7b as follows:
6 (305 ILCS 5/5-5.7b)
7 Sec. 5-5.7b. Pandemic related stability payments to
8 ambulance service providers in response to COVID-19.
9 (a) Definitions. As used in this Section:
10 "Ambulance Services Industry" means the industry that is
11 comprised of "Qualifying Ground Ambulance Service Providers",
12 as defined in this Section.
13 "Qualifying Ground Ambulance Service Provider" means a
14 "vehicle service provider," as that term is defined in Section
15 3.85 of the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems Act,
16 which operates licensed ambulances for the purpose of
17 providing emergency, non-emergency ambulance services, or both
18 emergency and non-emergency ambulance services. The term
19 "Qualifying Ground Ambulance Service Provider" is limited to
20 ambulance and EMS agencies that are privately held and
21 nonprofit organizations headquartered within the State and
22 licensed by the Department of Public Health as of March 12,
23 2020.
103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 HB3048 Introduced , by Rep. Lance Yednock SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
305 ILCS 5/5-5.7b 305 ILCS 5/5-5.7b
305 ILCS 5/5-5.7b
Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Removes ambulance and EMS agencies that are privately held from the definition of "qualifying ground ambulance service provider".
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LRB103 29926 KTG 56340 b
A BILL FOR
305 ILCS 5/5-5.7b
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1 "Eligible worker" means a staff member of a Qualifying
2 Ground Ambulance Service Provider engaged in "essential work",
3 as defined by Section 9901 of the ARPA and related federal
4 guidance, and (1) whose total pay is below 150% of the average
5 annual wage for all occupations in the worker's county of
6 residence, as defined by the BLS Occupational Employment and
7 Wage Statistics or (2) is not exempt from the federal Fair
8 Labor Standards Act overtime provisions.
9 (b) Purpose. The Department may receive federal funds
10 under the authority of legislation passed in response to the
11 Coronavirus epidemic, including, but not limited to, the
12 American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, P.L. 117-2 (the "ARPA").
13 Upon receipt or availability of such State or federal funds,
14 and subject to appropriations for their use, the Department
15 shall establish and administer programs for purposes allowable
16 under Section 9901 of the ARPA to provide financial assistance
17 to Qualifying Ground Ambulance Service Providers for premium
18 pay for eligible workers, to provide reimbursement for
19 eligible expenditures, and to provide support following the
20 negative economic impact of the COVID-19 public health
21 emergency on the Ambulance Services Industry. Financial
22 assistance may include, but is not limited to, grants, expense
23 reimbursements, or subsidies.
24 (b-1) By December 31, 2022, the Department shall obtain
25 appropriate documentation from Qualifying Ground Ambulance
26 Service Providers to ascertain an accurate count of the number
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1 of licensed vehicles available to serve enrollees in the
2 State's medical assistance programs, which shall be known as
3 the "total eligible vehicles". By February 28, 2023,
4 Qualifying Ground Ambulance Service Providers shall be
5 initially notified of their eligible award, which shall be the
6 product of (i) the total amount of funds allocated under this
7 Section and (ii) a quotient, the numerator of which is the
8 number of licensed ground ambulance vehicles of an individual
9 Qualifying Ground Ambulance Service Provider and the
10 denominator of which is the total eligible vehicles. After
11 March 31, 2024, any unobligated funds shall be reallocated pro
12 rata to the remaining Qualifying Ground Ambulance Service
13 Providers that are able to prove up eligible expenses in
14 excess of their initial award amount until all such
15 appropriated funds are exhausted.
16 Providers shall indicate to the Department what portion of
17 their award they wish to allocate under the purposes outlined
18 under paragraphs (d), (e), or (f), if applicable, of this
19 Section.
20 (c) Non-Emergency Service Certification. To be eligible
21 for funding under this Section, a Qualifying Ground Ambulance
22 Service Provider that provides non-emergency services to
23 institutional residents must certify whether or not it is able
24 to provide non-emergency ambulance services to individuals
25 enrolled in the State's Medical Assistance Program and
26 residing in non-institutional settings for at least one year
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1 following the receipt of funding pursuant to this amendatory
2 Act of the 102nd General Assembly. Certification indicating
3 that a provider has such an ability does not mean that a
4 provider is required to accept any or all requested
5 transports.
6 (d) Premium Pay Initiative. Subject to paragraph (c) of
7 this Section, the Department shall establish a Premium Pay
8 Initiative to distribute awards to each Qualifying Ground
9 Ambulance Service Provider for the purpose of providing
10 premium pay to eligible workers.
11 (1) Financial assistance pursuant to this paragraph
12 (d) shall be scaled based on a process determined by the
13 Department. The amount awarded to each Qualifying Ground
14 Ambulance Service Provider shall be up to $13 per hour for
15 each eligible worker employed.
16 (2) The financial assistance awarded shall only be
17 expended for premium pay for eligible workers, which must
18 be in addition to any wages or remuneration the eligible
19 worker has already received and shall be subject to the
20 other requirements and limitations set forth in the ARPA
21 and related federal guidance.
22 (3) Upon receipt of funds, the Qualifying Ground
23 Ambulance Service Provider shall distribute funds such
24 that an eligible worker receives an amount up to $13 per
25 hour but no more than $25,000 for the duration of the
26 program. The Qualifying Ground Ambulance Service Provider
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1 shall provide a written certification to the Department
2 acknowledging compliance with this paragraph (d).
3 (4) No portion of these funds shall be spent on
4 volunteer staff.
5 (5) These funds shall not be used to make retroactive
6 premium payments prior to the effective date of this
7 amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly.
8 (6) The Department shall require each Qualifying
9 Ground Ambulance Service Provider that receives funds
10 under this paragraph (d) to submit appropriate
11 documentation acknowledging compliance with State and
12 federal law on an annual basis.
13 (e) COVID-19 Response Support Initiative. Subject to
14 paragraph (c) of this Section and based on an application
15 filed by a Qualifying Ground Ambulance Service Provider, the
16 Department shall establish the Ground Ambulance COVID-19
17 Response Support Initiative. The purpose of the award shall be
18 to reimburse Qualifying Ground Ambulance Service Providers for
19 eligible expenses under Section 9901 of the ARPA related to
20 the public health impacts of the COVID-19 public health
21 emergency, including, but not limited to: (i) costs incurred
22 due to the COVID-19 public health emergency; (ii) costs
23 related to vaccination programs, including vaccine incentives;
24 (iii) costs related to COVID-19 testing; (iv) costs related to
25 COVID-19 prevention and treatment equipment; (v) expenses for
26 medical supplies; (vi) expenses for personal protective
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1 equipment; (vii) costs related to isolation and quarantine;
2 (viii) costs for ventilation system installation and
3 improvement; (ix) costs related to other emergency response
4 equipment, such as ground ambulances, ventilators, cardiac
5 monitoring equipment, defibrillation equipment, pacing
6 equipment, ambulance stretchers, and radio equipment; and (x)
7 other emergency medical response expenses.
8 (1) The award shall be for eligible obligated
9 expenditures incurred no earlier than May 1, 2022 and no
10 later than June 30, 2024. Expenditures under this
11 paragraph must be incurred by June 30, 2025.
12 (2) Funds awarded under this paragraph (e) shall not
13 be expended for premium pay to eligible workers.
14 (3) The Department shall require each Qualifying
15 Ground Ambulance Service Provider that receives funds
16 under this paragraph (e) to submit appropriate
17 documentation acknowledging compliance with State and
18 federal law on an annual basis. For purchases of medical
19 equipment or other capital expenditures, the Qualifying
20 Ground Ambulance Service Provider shall include
21 documentation that describes the harm or need to be
22 addressed by the expenditures and how that capital
23 expenditure is appropriate to address that identified harm
24 or need.
25 (f) Ambulance Industry Recovery Program. If the Department
26 designates the Ambulance Services Industry as an "impacted
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1 industry", as defined by the ARPA and related federal
2 guidance, the Department shall establish the Ambulance
3 Industry Recovery Grant Program, to provide aid to Qualifying
4 Ground Ambulance Service Providers that experienced staffing
5 losses due to the COVID-19 public health emergency.
6 (1) Funds awarded under this paragraph (f) shall not
7 be expended for premium pay to eligible workers.
8 (2) Each Qualifying Ground Ambulance Service Provider
9 that receives funds under this paragraph (f) shall comply
10 with paragraph (c) of this Section.
11 (3) The Department shall require each Qualifying
12 Ground Ambulance Service Provider that receives funds
13 under this paragraph (f) to submit appropriate
14 documentation acknowledging compliance with State and
15 federal law on an annual basis.
16 (Source: P.A. 102-699, eff. 4-19-22; 102-1118, eff. 1-18-23.)
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