Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill to establish ambulance assessment fee For private ambulance services in the state of South Carolina.

Highlights:

• Requires every department to charge every ambulance service a uniform ambulance assessment fee (Sec. 1). 

• Establishes that the fee must equal the product of the ratio of the ambulance service net revenue to that of an average ambulance service net revenue, and then multiplied by the total ambulance service assessment amount (Sec. 1). 

• Specifies that the State Treasury and Ambulance Fee Trust fund is separate and distinct from the general fund of the State and all other funds (Sec. 1). 

• Requires the amounts in the fund to be provided to the department solely for Medicaid payments to ambulance services and must not be expended for any other purposes (Sec. 1). 

• Establishes the following as credited to the fund (Sec. 1): 

• All revenues generated from fee collections; 

• An amount equal to federal financial participation; 

• Any revenue from appropriation authorized by the South Carolina General Assembly; and 

• Interest earned on any money in the fund.

• Requires the department to charge a fee if the following conditions are met (Sec. 1):

• The department has received such approval from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services necessary to authorize the Medicaid payments to ambulance services; and 

• The funds from the fee that are both distinct and separate from the general funds. 

• Prohibits funds from being expended exclusively for Medicaid payments to ambulance services with the intention of replacing payment commitments between the ambulance services and the State (Sec. 1). 

• Specifies that if the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services do not authorize or withdraw approval of the Medicaid payments then all movies in the fund shall be returned to the ambulance services (Sec. 1). 

• Requires the ambulance assessment program to supplement but not supplant general fund appropriations to support ambulance service reimbursements (Sec. 1). 

• Authorizes the department to impose a penalty of up to five percent of the fee for any ambulance service that fails to pay the fee within the time required by the department for each month (Sec. 1). 

• Authorizes this act to take effect upon approval of the Governor (Sec. 1).

Full Bill Text