Amends TCA Title 5; Title 7; Title 55; Title 56; Title 68 and Title 71.

ON APRIL 4, 2019, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 1349, AS AMENDED.<br /> <br /> AMENDMENT #1 rewrites this bill.<br /> <br /> Under present law, the Ground Ambulance Service Provider Assessment Act requires an ambulance provider to pay an assessment to the bureau of TennCare to be deposited into the ambulance service assessment revenue fund. Generally, this fund is used to reimburse each ambulance provider with qualifying ground ambulance service medicaid transports. This amendment extends and revises the Act, as follows:<br /> <br /> (1) Under present law, an ambulance provider that fails to pay an assessment due under the Act must pay the bureau, in addition to the assessment, a penalty "determined by the bureau."<br /> <br /> This amendment instead requires that the fine be $50.00 per calendar day for each day the assessment remains unpaid in full after the date due. Under this amendment, the bureau may waive penalties for a delinquent provider if the provider has entered into a payment plan approved by the bureau. If the provider fails to comply with the terms of the payment plan, then the bureau may reinstate the waived penalties.<br /> <br /> (2) Under present law, in the event that quarterly transport data is not adequate or available for the calculation of assessments, the bureau must use total transports submitted to the office of emergency medical services for calendar year 2017.<br /> <br /> This amendment revises the applicable calendar year to be 2018.<br /> <br /> (3) This amendment extends the expiration date of the Act from June 30, 2019, to June 30, 2020.<br /> <br />