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132nd MAINE LEGISLATURE
FIRST REGULAR SESSION-2025
Legislative Document No. 35
S.P. 56 In Senate, January 8, 2025
An Act to Strengthen Local Emergency Medical Services by
Increasing the MaineCare Reimbursement Rate for Ambulance
Services
(EMERGENCY)
Received by the Secretary of the Senate on January 6, 2025. Referred to the Committee on
Health and Human Services pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed.
DAREK M. GRANT
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator CURRY of Waldo.
Page 1 - 132LR0241(01)
1Emergency preamble. Whereas, acts and resolves of the Legislature do not
2 become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and
3Whereas, 2 recent blue ribbon commissions to study emergency medical services
4 established by Public Law 2021, chapter 749 and Resolve 2023, chapter 98, respectively,
5 identified lack of adequate funding as a critical issue facing the emergency medical services
6 system in the State; and
7Whereas, without increased financial support, emergency medical services providers
8 are at risk of closure, leaving areas of the State without adequate access to life-saving
9 emergency services; and
10Whereas, increasing reimbursement rates under the MaineCare program will provide
11 much needed financial relief and will further leverage additional federal funding for
12 emergency medical services in the State; and
13Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within
14 the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as
15 immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now,
16 therefore,
17Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
18Sec. 1. Ambulance services reimbursement rate. Notwithstanding the Maine
19 Revised Statutes, Title 22, section 3174-JJ or any other provision of law to the contrary,
20 beginning July 1, 2025 and ending June 30, 2028, the Department of Health and Human
21 Services shall reimburse for ambulance services under MaineCare at a level that is 140%
22 of the average allowable reimbursement rate under Medicare for such services.
23Sec. 2. Transfer from Department of Public Safety, Emergency Medical
24Services Stabilization and Sustainability Program, Other Special Revenue
25Funds account; Department of Health and Human Services, Medical Care -
26Payments to Providers. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, on or
27 before June 30, 2026, the State Controller shall transfer $15,000,000 from the Department
28 of Public Safety, Emergency Medical Services Stabilization and Sustainability Program,
29 Other Special Revenue Funds account to the Department of Health and Human Services,
30 Medical Care - Payments to Providers program, Other Special Revenue Funds account.
31Sec. 3. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and
32 allocations are made.
33HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF
34Medical Care - Payments to Providers 0147
35 Initiative: Provides one-time allocation for a temporary change to the department's rule
36 Chapter 101: MaineCare Benefits Manual, Chapter III, Section 5, Ambulance Services, so
37 that, effective July 1, 2025, MaineCare Ambulance Services codes with Medicare
38 equivalents are reimbursed at 140% of the current published Medicare rates. This
39 temporary increase ends June 30, 2028.
FEDERAL EXPENDITURES FUND 2025-26 2026-27
All Other $7,300,000 $7,300,000
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Page 2 - 132LR0241(01)
__________ __________
FEDERAL EXPENDITURES FUND TOTAL $7,300,000 $7,300,000
1
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS 2025-26 2026-27
All Other $5,000,000 $5,000,000
__________ __________
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL $5,000,000 $5,000,000
4
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES,
DEPARTMENT OF
DEPARTMENT TOTALS 2025-26 2026-27
FEDERAL EXPENDITURES FUND $7,300,000 $7,300,000
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS $5,000,000 $5,000,000
__________ __________
DEPARTMENT TOTAL - ALL FUNDS $12,300,000 $12,300,000
9PUBLIC SAFETY, DEPARTMENT OF
18EMS Stabilization and Sustainability Program Z382
19 Initiative: Provides one-time deallocation to the Emergency Medical Services Stabilization
20 and Sustainability Program established in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 32, section 98.
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS 2025-26 2026-27
All Other ($15,000,000) $0
__________ __________
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL ($15,000,000) $0
21
PUBLIC SAFETY, DEPARTMENT OF
DEPARTMENT TOTALS 2025-26 2026-27
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS ($15,000,000) $0
__________ __________
DEPARTMENT TOTAL - ALL FUNDS ($15,000,000) $0
26
SECTION TOTALS 2025-26 2026-27
FEDERAL EXPENDITURES FUND $7,300,000 $7,300,000
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS ($10,000,000) $5,000,000
__________ __________
SECTION TOTAL - ALL FUNDS ($2,700,000) $12,300,000
33Emergency clause. In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this legislation
34 takes effect when approved.
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Page 3 - 132LR0241(01)
1SUMMARY
2 This bill increases for 3 years the MaineCare reimbursement rate for ambulance
3 services to 140% of the average allowable reimbursement rate under Medicare for such
4 services.
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