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119-hr-3443119th CongressWALLET

When Minutes Count for Emergency Medical Patients Act

Sponsored By: Representative Hudson, Richard [R-NC-9]

Introduced

Summary

This bill would create a Medicare model to provide supplemental payments to EMS for life‑saving drugs and blood products. It would pay ground and air ambulance agencies on a cost basis and require data reporting to measure effects on shortages, care, and outcomes over at least five years.

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  • Emergency medical services agencies: Eligible EMS agencies that apply and are selected would receive lump‑sum monthly or quarterly payments based on total costs to maintain supplies, cover blood product acquisition and transport, and run required reporting software. They must keep at least double the average acquisition amount of specified medications in year one.
  • Patients and communities: The model aims to ensure EMS professionals can promptly give listed medications and blood products during emergencies. The program would track effects on morbidity and mortality for Medicare and Medicaid patients and on care in rural and underserved areas.
  • Policy and hospitals: The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission must report within two years on EMS payment issues. The Secretary must issue Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act guidance on hospital "wall time" within one year and then report on whether it reduced delays and recommend any needed legislation.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

3 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.

Extra Medicare payments for EMS

This bill would create a Medicare pilot to pay EMS agencies extra money to keep life‑saving drugs and blood on hand. Payments would be lump‑sum monthly or quarterly amounts based on total costs for drugs, blood products, storage, transport, administration, wastage, and data systems. The model would run at least five years and the Secretary must pick participants from every HHS region and different agency types. First‑year medication supplies would be set at at least double the average acquisition amount as determined by the Secretary. Payments would cover supplies for all patients in an agency’s service area, not only Medicare patients. Applicants would need to report quality and clinical data, including ICD‑10 and specified NEMSIS 3.5 outcome elements.

Hospital guidance on EMS handoff delays

This bill would define "wall time" as minutes beyond 30 after EMS hands a patient to hospital staff who can treat them. The Secretary would have one year to issue guidance to hospitals on addressing wall time. One year after that guidance, the Secretary would report to Congress on whether wall time dropped and recommend any laws needed to eliminate wall time.

MedPAC study of Medicare EMS payments

This bill would require MedPAC to report to Congress within two years on Medicare payment for emergency medical services. The study would examine payment for EMS medical directors and EMS professionals, look at workforce shortages since 2020, recommend quality assurance steps, and consider whether EMS should be defined differently in law.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Hudson, Richard [R-NC-9]

NC • R

Cosponsors

  • Rep. Dingell, Debbie [D-MI-6]

    MI • D

    Sponsored 5/15/2025

  • Rep. Tenney, Claudia [R-NY-24]

    NY • R

    Sponsored 6/3/2025

  • Rep. Gottheimer, Josh [D-NJ-5]

    NJ • D

    Sponsored 2/23/2026

  • Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large]

    DC • D

    Sponsored 3/3/2026

  • Rep. Mackenzie, Ryan [R-PA-7]

    PA • R

    Sponsored 3/16/2026

  • Rep. Thompson, Glenn [R-PA-15]

    PA • R

    Sponsored 4/14/2026

  • Rep. Bilirakis, Gus M. [R-FL-12]

    FL • R

    Sponsored 4/20/2026

  • Rep. Kiggans, Jennifer A. [R-VA-2]

    VA • R

    Sponsored 6/9/2026

  • Rep. Goldman, Craig A. [R-TX-12]

    TX • R

    Sponsored 9/15/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

View on Congress.gov
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