Acadian Ambulance Service has been chosen by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to participate in a new and innovative healthcare model pilot program in 12 Louisiana parishes: Acadia, Ascension, Calcasieu, East Baton Rouge, Evangeline, Iberia, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Livingston, St. Landry, St. Martin and Vermilion, and in two Texas counties: Bexar and Harris.
Acadian was one of 205 agencies nationwide selected to participate in the five-year Emergency Triage, Treat and Transport (ET3) Model, a payment model that incorporates a new approach to utilizing the skills, efficiencies and capabilities of emergency medical services providers and their strategic partners in the care of communities through innovation and the use of available alternative care settings.
Under this pilot program in the selected parishes and counties, which will begin this spring, CMS will pay for emergency transport of a Medicare beneficiary to a hospital ED or other destination covered under current Medicare requirements, as well as paying ET3 Model participants to transport a beneficiary to an alternative destination, such as a primary care doctor’s office or an urgent care clinic, or initiate and facilitate treatment in place by a qualified health care practitioner, either in-person on-scene or via telehealth.
“We believe this will be a win for both Medicare patients and community healthcare providers. It will allow all providers to utilize their resources in the most efficient and appropriate manner,” says Acadian Ambulance Senior VP of Strategic Initiatives and Innovation Asbel Montes.
For more information on CMS’ ET3 Model, please visit https://innovation.cms.gov/initiatives/et3/.
Acadian Ambulance is one of the largest ambulance services in the nation, offering emergency and non-emergency transportation to areas in Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi and Tennessee. They are employee-owned and accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services.
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Originally published: March 4, 2020
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