Category: Uncategorized

My Department Needs Help with the CMS MGADCS
Author: Andrew Martinez What Is the Medicare Ground Ambulance Data Collection Survey (GADCS)? The Medicare GADCS is a one-time requirement established by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) that mandates all providers of ground ambulance transportation to report department statistics such as expenditures, utilization, and revenue. Roughly 10,000 …

October is National Fire Prevention Month!
October is Fire Prevention Month, and it is a time to raise fire safety awareness. Fire Prevention Month takes place in October every year and occurs in conjunction with Fire Prevention Week (October 8th – 14th). The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) created Fire Prevention Month in memory of the …

Committed to Supporting Women in the Fire and EMS Industry
Author: Michelle Silvestre At Public Consulting Group (PCG) we strive for an equitable and inclusive workplace. One organization furthering these efforts in the Fire and EMS space is Women in Fire which is an interactive non-profit network that provides education, support, and advocacy for fire service women. Did you know …

AI in the EMS World
Author: Lauren Cantley AI has made a serious mark on the world once Chat GPT was announced near the end of 2022. Ever since becoming a hot topic, its popularity has only grown. However, there is more to AI than using it to dictate text or summarize literature. The article …

Combating Fire & EMS Financial Constraints with Medicaid Supplemental Payment Programs
Author: Kendal August Primary EMS Challenges Amidst surging inflation and the rising cost of living, EMS departments find themselves in a critical condition. This article centers on the funding-related challenges faced by departments around the country and highlights the significance of obtaining adequate financial support through the Ambulance Supplemental Payment …

PCG Hosts Webinar and Releases a New Tool to Assist States in Providing Comment on the Impact of Proposed Rules to Enhance Medicaid Access/Quality
Originally Posted on PCG’s Health Policy News June 30, 2023 Author: Margot Jones In April 2023, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released two notices of proposed rulemaking aimed at transforming the delivery of, access to, and payment for Medicaid programs: Ensuring Access to Medicaid Services (Access NPRM) and Managed Care Access, Finance, …

2023 National EMS Week Recap
Author: Lauren Cantley This year, we celebrated the 49th anniversary of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Week. EMS Week was originally authorized by President Gerald Ford on November 4, 1974, for the week of November 3rd–10th. Starting in 1992, EMS Week moved to the third week of May. This week of …

The Medicare Ambulance Fee Schedule Increased, But Will It Help?
Author: Kyrstyn Paulat On October 14, 2022, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued Transmittal 11642 (Change Request 12948), which announced the Medicare Ambulance Inflation Factor (AIF) for the calendar year 2023. The AIF is calculated by measuring the increase in the Consumer Price Index for all urban consumers …

The Growing EMS Retention and Recruitment Gap
Author: Lauren Cantley When thinking of what EMTs or paramedics do for a living and knowing their national average salaries are $36,000 and $46,000 per year respectively, it comes as no surprise that income was the leading factor for EMS agency turnover in 2022 . In the article “Flattening the Turnover …

How to Honor First Responder Heroes During the Season of Giving
The holidays are a time of giving and that means not only giving a gift but giving back to the community. Public Consulting Group (PCG) is passionate about making a difference across the public sector and is committed to helping those in the Fire and Emergency Medical Service’s (EMS) community …