Bill Text: IL HB3048 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: 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".

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Introduced) 2023-05-19 - Rule 19(a) / Re-referred to Rules Committee [HB3048 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2023-HB3048-Introduced.html

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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".
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A BILL FOR
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AN ACT concerning public aid.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 5. The Illinois Public Aid Code is amended by
changing Section 5-5.7b as follows:
(305 ILCS 5/5-5.7b)
Sec. 5-5.7b. Pandemic related stability payments to
ambulance service providers in response to COVID-19.
(a) Definitions. As used in this Section:
"Ambulance Services Industry" means the industry that is
comprised of "Qualifying Ground Ambulance Service Providers",
as defined in this Section.
"Qualifying Ground Ambulance Service Provider" means a
"vehicle service provider," as that term is defined in Section
3.85 of the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems Act,
which operates licensed ambulances for the purpose of
providing emergency, non-emergency ambulance services, or both
emergency and non-emergency ambulance services. The term
"Qualifying Ground Ambulance Service Provider" is limited to
ambulance and EMS agencies that are privately held and
nonprofit organizations headquartered within the State and
licensed by the Department of Public Health as of March 12,
2020.

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"Eligible worker" means a staff member of a Qualifying
Ground Ambulance Service Provider engaged in "essential work",
as defined by Section 9901 of the ARPA and related federal
guidance, and (1) whose total pay is below 150% of the average
annual wage for all occupations in the worker's county of
residence, as defined by the BLS Occupational Employment and
Wage Statistics or (2) is not exempt from the federal Fair
Labor Standards Act overtime provisions.
(b) Purpose. The Department may receive federal funds
under the authority of legislation passed in response to the
Coronavirus epidemic, including, but not limited to, the
American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, P.L. 117-2 (the "ARPA").
Upon receipt or availability of such State or federal funds,
and subject to appropriations for their use, the Department
shall establish and administer programs for purposes allowable
under Section 9901 of the ARPA to provide financial assistance
to Qualifying Ground Ambulance Service Providers for premium
pay for eligible workers, to provide reimbursement for
eligible expenditures, and to provide support following the
negative economic impact of the COVID-19 public health
emergency on the Ambulance Services Industry. Financial
assistance may include, but is not limited to, grants, expense
reimbursements, or subsidies.
(b-1) By December 31, 2022, the Department shall obtain
appropriate documentation from Qualifying Ground Ambulance
Service Providers to ascertain an accurate count of the number

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of licensed vehicles available to serve enrollees in the
State's medical assistance programs, which shall be known as
the "total eligible vehicles". By February 28, 2023,
Qualifying Ground Ambulance Service Providers shall be
initially notified of their eligible award, which shall be the
product of (i) the total amount of funds allocated under this
Section and (ii) a quotient, the numerator of which is the
number of licensed ground ambulance vehicles of an individual
Qualifying Ground Ambulance Service Provider and the
denominator of which is the total eligible vehicles. After
March 31, 2024, any unobligated funds shall be reallocated pro
rata to the remaining Qualifying Ground Ambulance Service
Providers that are able to prove up eligible expenses in
excess of their initial award amount until all such
appropriated funds are exhausted.
Providers shall indicate to the Department what portion of
their award they wish to allocate under the purposes outlined
under paragraphs (d), (e), or (f), if applicable, of this
Section.
(c) Non-Emergency Service Certification. To be eligible
for funding under this Section, a Qualifying Ground Ambulance
Service Provider that provides non-emergency services to
institutional residents must certify whether or not it is able
to provide non-emergency ambulance services to individuals
enrolled in the State's Medical Assistance Program and
residing in non-institutional settings for at least one year

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following the receipt of funding pursuant to this amendatory
Act of the 102nd General Assembly. Certification indicating
that a provider has such an ability does not mean that a
provider is required to accept any or all requested
transports.
(d) Premium Pay Initiative. Subject to paragraph (c) of
this Section, the Department shall establish a Premium Pay
Initiative to distribute awards to each Qualifying Ground
Ambulance Service Provider for the purpose of providing
premium pay to eligible workers.
(1) Financial assistance pursuant to this paragraph
(d) shall be scaled based on a process determined by the
Department. The amount awarded to each Qualifying Ground
Ambulance Service Provider shall be up to $13 per hour for
each eligible worker employed.
(2) The financial assistance awarded shall only be
expended for premium pay for eligible workers, which must
be in addition to any wages or remuneration the eligible
worker has already received and shall be subject to the
other requirements and limitations set forth in the ARPA
and related federal guidance.
(3) Upon receipt of funds, the Qualifying Ground
Ambulance Service Provider shall distribute funds such
that an eligible worker receives an amount up to $13 per
hour but no more than $25,000 for the duration of the
program. The Qualifying Ground Ambulance Service Provider

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shall provide a written certification to the Department
acknowledging compliance with this paragraph (d).
(4) No portion of these funds shall be spent on
volunteer staff.
(5) These funds shall not be used to make retroactive
premium payments prior to the effective date of this
amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly.
(6) The Department shall require each Qualifying
Ground Ambulance Service Provider that receives funds
under this paragraph (d) to submit appropriate
documentation acknowledging compliance with State and
federal law on an annual basis.
(e) COVID-19 Response Support Initiative. Subject to
paragraph (c) of this Section and based on an application
filed by a Qualifying Ground Ambulance Service Provider, the
Department shall establish the Ground Ambulance COVID-19
Response Support Initiative. The purpose of the award shall be
to reimburse Qualifying Ground Ambulance Service Providers for
eligible expenses under Section 9901 of the ARPA related to
the public health impacts of the COVID-19 public health
emergency, including, but not limited to: (i) costs incurred
due to the COVID-19 public health emergency; (ii) costs
related to vaccination programs, including vaccine incentives;
(iii) costs related to COVID-19 testing; (iv) costs related to
COVID-19 prevention and treatment equipment; (v) expenses for
medical supplies; (vi) expenses for personal protective

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equipment; (vii) costs related to isolation and quarantine;
(viii) costs for ventilation system installation and
improvement; (ix) costs related to other emergency response
equipment, such as ground ambulances, ventilators, cardiac
monitoring equipment, defibrillation equipment, pacing
equipment, ambulance stretchers, and radio equipment; and (x)
other emergency medical response expenses.
(1) The award shall be for eligible obligated
expenditures incurred no earlier than May 1, 2022 and no
later than June 30, 2024. Expenditures under this
paragraph must be incurred by June 30, 2025.
(2) Funds awarded under this paragraph (e) shall not
be expended for premium pay to eligible workers.
(3) The Department shall require each Qualifying
Ground Ambulance Service Provider that receives funds
under this paragraph (e) to submit appropriate
documentation acknowledging compliance with State and
federal law on an annual basis. For purchases of medical
equipment or other capital expenditures, the Qualifying
Ground Ambulance Service Provider shall include
documentation that describes the harm or need to be
addressed by the expenditures and how that capital
expenditure is appropriate to address that identified harm
or need.
(f) Ambulance Industry Recovery Program. If the Department
designates the Ambulance Services Industry as an "impacted

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industry", as defined by the ARPA and related federal
guidance, the Department shall establish the Ambulance
Industry Recovery Grant Program, to provide aid to Qualifying
Ground Ambulance Service Providers that experienced staffing
losses due to the COVID-19 public health emergency.
(1) Funds awarded under this paragraph (f) shall not
be expended for premium pay to eligible workers.
(2) Each Qualifying Ground Ambulance Service Provider
that receives funds under this paragraph (f) shall comply
with paragraph (c) of this Section.
(3) The Department shall require each Qualifying
Ground Ambulance Service Provider that receives funds
under this paragraph (f) to submit appropriate
documentation acknowledging compliance with State and
federal law on an annual basis.
(Source: P.A. 102-699, eff. 4-19-22; 102-1118, eff. 1-18-23.)