Padilla, Capito Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Improve Emergency Medical Transportation in Mountainous Regions
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) introduced the bipartisan Preserving Emergency Access in Key Sites (PEAKS) Act to bolster emergency medical transportation services in mountainous areas. The PEAKS Act would help Critical Access Hospitals (CAH) in mountainous areas receive fair compensation for ambulatory services by modifying distance requirements for these hospitals to receive reimbursements. California has 37 total CAHs, of which two thirds are currently operating at a loss.
CAHs, designated by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, are smaller rural hospitals that are located more than a 35-mile drive — or a 15-mile drive in mountainous terrain — from any other hospital or CAH; are in an area with only secondary roads available; or otherwise are designated by their state as a “necessary provider.” Currently, CAHs in mountainous areas are not reimbursed for providing ambulatory services under the enhanced Medicare payment model if they do not meet the 35-mile distance requirement. The PEAKS Act would expand reimbursements for these services if a CAH in mountainous terrain or in an area with only secondary roads is the only provider within 15 miles.
“Far too often, people in mountainous regions struggle to receive timely, affordable emergency care when they need it most,” said Senator Padilla. “California’s 37 Critical Access Hospitals help fill critical coverage gaps by providing emergency medical services in these rural areas, yet with two thirds of them operating in the red, we need to act quickly to prevent more ambulance service closures. Our bipartisan PEAKS Act would make commonsense updates to help Critical Access Hospitals in mountainous areas get Medicare reimbursements for the emergency care they provide.”
“As residents of the Mountain State, we are proud of our beautiful peaks, however, we are also aware of the transportation challenges—especially for ambulances—that exist due to our mountainous topography. I’m proud to introduce the PEAKS Act to address this challenge and ensure even our most rural residents can depend on ambulance services, as well as ensure our critical access hospitals are able to provide the best care possible,” said Senator Capito.
The PEAKS Act would also make certain that CAHs would not lose their designation if any new hospital is built within 15 miles.
The PEAKS Act is supported by the West Virginia Hospital Association, California Hospital Association, Arkansas Hospital Association, Hospital Association of Oregon, Utah Hospital Association, and Wyoming Hospital Association.
Senator Padilla has long been a leader in the fight to make health care more equitable, affordable, and accessible in the United States. Earlier this year, Padilla introduced the bipartisan Health Accelerating Consumers’ Care by Expediting Self-Scheduling (ACCESS) Act to improve digital health services by allowing patients to easily search for and book health care appointments online while protecting personal health information. Padilla also recently introduced the EASE Act, bipartisan legislation that would increase access to specialty care for rural and underserved Medicare, Medicaid, and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) patients. Last year, Padilla introduced the Health Equity and Accountability Act (HEAA) of 2024 to address health disparities among racial and ethnic minorities as well as women, the LGBTQ+ community, rural populations, and socioeconomically disadvantaged communities across the United States.
Additionally, Padilla introduced the Equal Health Care for All Act, bicameral legislation that would make equal access to medical care a protected civil right to help address the racial inequities and structural failures in America’s health care system. He also recently joined Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and over 100 lawmakers in reintroducing the Medicare for All Act, historic legislation that would guarantee health care as a fundamental human right to all people in the United States regardless of income or background.
Full text of the bill is available here.
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