Public Act 095-0501
 
SB1350 Enrolled LRB095 10902 DRJ 31188 b

    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 5-4.2 as follows:
 
    (305 ILCS 5/5-4.2)  (from Ch. 23, par. 5-4.2)
    Sec. 5-4.2. Ambulance services payments. For ambulance
services provided to a recipient of aid under this Article on
or after January 1, 1993, the Illinois Department shall
reimburse ambulance service providers at rates calculated in
accordance with this Section. It is the intent of the General
Assembly to provide adequate reimbursement for ambulance
services so as to ensure adequate access to services for
recipients of aid under this Article and to provide appropriate
incentives to ambulance service providers to provide services
in an efficient and cost-effective manner. Thus, it is the
intent of the General Assembly that the Illinois Department
implement a reimbursement system for ambulance services that,
to the extent practicable and subject to the availability of
funds appropriated by the General Assembly for this purpose, is
consistent with the payment principles of Medicare. To ensure
uniformity between the payment principles of Medicare and
Medicaid, the Illinois Department shall follow, to the extent
necessary and practicable and subject to the availability of
funds appropriated by the General Assembly for this purpose,
the statutes, laws, regulations, policies, procedures,
principles, definitions, guidelines, and manuals used to
determine the amounts paid to ambulance service providers under
Title XVIII of the Social Security Act (Medicare).
    For ambulance services provided to a recipient of aid under
this Article on or after January 1, 1996, the Illinois
Department shall reimburse ambulance service providers based
upon the actual distance traveled if a natural disaster,
weather conditions, road repairs, or traffic congestion
necessitates the use of a route other than the most direct
route.
    For purposes of this Section, "ambulance services"
includes medical transportation services provided by means of
an ambulance, medi-car, service car, or taxi.
    This Section does not prohibit separate billing by
ambulance service providers for oxygen furnished while
providing advanced life support services.
    Beginning with services rendered on or after July 1, 2008,
all providers of non-emergency medi-car and service car
transportation must certify that the driver and employee
attendant, as applicable, have completed a safety program
approved by the Department to protect both the patient and the
driver, prior to transporting a patient. The provider must
maintain this certification in its records. The provider shall
produce such documentation upon demand by the Department or its
representative. Failure to produce documentation of such
training shall result in recovery of any payments made by the
Department for services rendered by a non-certified driver or
employee attendant. Medi-car and service car providers must
maintain legible documentation in their records of the driver
and, as applicable, employee attendant that actually
transported the patient. Providers must recertify all drivers
and employee attendants every 3 years.
    Notwithstanding the requirements above, any public
transportation provider of medi-car and service car
transportation that receives federal funding under 49 U.S.C.
5307 and 5311 need not certify its drivers and employee
attendants under this Section, since safety training is already
federally mandated.
(Source: P.A. 88-104; 89-43, eff. 1-1-96.)
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.