HHS will test paying ambulances for trips to alternative sites, telemedicine

Modern Healthcare: HHS will test allowing ambulance suppliers and providers to transport Medicare and Medicaid patients to areas besides the emergency room, such as a doctor's office or urgent care facility, or use telemedicine, in a bid to reduce unnecessary trips to the hospital.

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation will conduct an experiment on a new payment model for Medicare to create new incentives on emergency transport and care. The model would apply to Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries.

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