,i  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #dgib  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,july #bi1 #bjbe,mr4 
,estes 7for himself and ,ms4 ,del,bene7 
introduced the following bill2 which was
 referred to the ,committee on ,energy  
and ,commerce1 and in addition to the   
,committee on ,ways and ,means1 for a   
period to be subsequently determined by 
the ,speaker1 in each case for          
consideration of such provisions as fall
 within the jurisdiction of the         
committee concerned  ,a ,,bill  ,to     
amend title ,,xviii of the ,social      
,security ,act to revise payment for air
 ambulance services under the ,medicare 
program4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act   
may be cited as the ,protecting ,air    
,ambulance ,services for ,americans ,act
 of #bjbe4  #b4 ,improvements to        
,medicare payment system for air        
ambulance services ,section #ahcd7l7 of 
the ,social ,security ,act 7#db         
,u4,s4,c4 #aciem7l77 is amended by      
adding at the end the following new     

paragraph3  7#ah7 ,improvements to      
,medicare payment system for air        
ambulance services  7,a7 ,in general    
,the ,secretary may revise the fee      
schedule otherwise established under    
this subsection for air ambulance       
services based on data described in     
subparagraph 7,b7 and data collected    
under subparagraph 7,c74  7,b7 ,data    
described ,for purposes of subparagraph 
7,a71 the data described in this        
subparagraph is data collected pursuant 
to the provisions of1 and amendments    
made by1 section #ajf of division ,,bb  
of the ,consolidated ,appropriations    
,act1 #bjba 7,public ,law #aaf-bfj74    
7,c7 ,additional data collection ,the   
,secretary shall require1 once every #c 
years1 providers of services and        
suppliers furnishing air ambulance      
services to submit to the ,secretary--  
7i7 data relating to the fixed and      
operated costs per air ambulance base   
attributable to furnishing air ambulance
 services to individuals enrolled under 

this part and data relating to the      
utilization of such services by such    
individuals2  7ii7 data relating to the 
revenue obtained by such providers and  
suppliers under this part attributable  
to the furnishing of such services2 and 
7iii7 any other information determined  
appropriate by the ,secretary4  7,d7    
,consultation ,in the case that the     
,secretary elects to revise the fee     
schedule for air ambulance services     
under subparagraph 7,a71 the ,secretary 
shall consider stakeholder input in a   
process that is transparent and         
appropriately considers data described  
in subparagraph 7,b7 and data collected 
under subparagraph 7,c74  4  #c4 ,timely
 finalization of air ambulance data     
collection rule ,not later than #f      
months after the date of enactment of   
this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,health and
 ,human ,services shall finalize and    
publish a final rule implementing the   
air ambulance data collection           
requirements under section #ajf of      

division ,,bb of the ,consolidated      
,appropriations ,act1 #bjba 7,public    
,law #aaf-bfj74  #d4 ,,gao study on     
emergency air ambulance costs ,not later
 than #a year after the date on which   
data begins to be collected pursuant to 
the provisions of1 and amendments made  
by1 section #ajf of division ,,bb of the
 ,consolidated ,appropriations ,act1    
#bjba 7,public ,law #aaf-bfj71 the      
,comptroller ,general of the ,united    
,states shall submit to the ,committee  
on ,finance of the ,senate and the      
,committee on ,ways and ,means and the  
,committee on ,energy and ,commerce of  
the ,house of ,representatives1 a report
 detailing-- 7#a7 the average annual    
operating costs per air ambulance base2 
7#b7 the average cost per transport by  
air ambulance2  7#c7 the payor mix for  
air ambulance services2  7#d7 the       
adequacy of ,medicare payments for such 
services2  7#e7 geographic variations in
 the cost of furnishing such services2  
and  7#f7 recommendations on improving  

the fee schedule under section #ahcd7l7 
of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db      
,u4,s4,c4 #aciem7l77 for air ambulance  
services4