This bill addresses how Medicare pays for air ambulance services—the helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft that transport critically ill or injured patients to hospitals. Right now, Medicare uses a set payment rate for these services, but this bill gives the government flexibility to adjust those rates based on real cost data from air ambulance providers.

Here's what happens: Air ambulance companies will now have to report detailed information to Medicare every three years, including their operating costs, how much revenue they make from Medicare patients, and how often they're used. The government will use this information to figure out if current payment rates are fair and adequate. Before making any changes to payment rates, the government must listen to input from air ambulance providers and other stakeholders to make sure the process is transparent and considers actual costs.

The bill also requires the government to publish final rules about data collection within six months, and orders a comprehensive report within a year that examines average operating costs, payment adequacy, and regional differences in air ambulance services. The goal is to make sure Medicare payments for air ambulances reflect real-world expenses so these critical emergency services remain available, especially in rural and underserved areas where air ambulances are often the only option for getting seriously injured or ill patients to trauma centers quickly.

Protecting Air Ambulance Services for Americans Act of 2025

Bennet, Michael F.

Protecting Air Ambulance Services for Americans Act of 2025This bill authorizes payment changes under Medicare for air ambulance services based on certain collected data and requires additional reporting from providers of these services.Current law requires providers of air ambulance services to report certain information regarding general costs and utilization to the Department of Health and Human Services; private health insurers are also required to report information relating to coverage of these services. The bill authorizes the Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services to revise payment rates under Medicare for air ambulance services based on this data, and it requires providers of air ambulance services to specifically report information relating to costs and utilization under Medicare.The bill also requires the Government Accountability Office to report on the data that is collected under current law requirements and to recommend changes to Medicare payment rates accordingly.