In 2002, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) implemented a congressional mandated ambulance fee schedule that substantially changed the way Medicare pays for ambulance services (GAO reports, 2003). Through the new structure, a provider is reimbursed a flat fee, which is geographically dependant based upon regional averages. Prior to this change, Medicare paid based on what were considered reasonable charges. While the reimbursement rate has never been impressive by Medicare, roughly 0.60 per dollar, the means …showed first 75 words of 1429 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1429 total…of Northwest and how the reimbursement is determined gives a better understanding to finding alternative solutions to the problem. References: GAO Reports, 2003. Ambulance services: Medicare payments can be better targeted to trips in <Tab/>less densely populated rural areas: GAO-03-986. Grimaldi, Paul L., 2002. Medicare's ambulance fee schedule dispatched. Healthcare Financial <Tab/>Management. Vol. 56, Issue 8. Ripley, Richard, 2003. Reimbursement inequity said hitting Spokane hard, The Journal of Business