Letter to Senator Grassley
July 31, 2008

Dear Senator Grassley: 

Thank you from Iowa! I am writing on behalf of the Iowa EMS Association to express our appreciation for your effort to include the desperately-needed Medicare ambulance relief in the Preserving Access to Medicare Act (S. 3118). The 2% urban and 3% rural 18-month increases for ambulance services included in S. 3118 and Public Law 110-275 will help ensure that all of our patients have access to the high quality life-saving ambulance services they deserve. 

Ambulance services; in Iowa and across this nation are a vital but severely under reimbursed component of the health care and emergency response system. The relief included in S. 3118 and Public Law 110-275 will definitely help mitigate some of the financial hardships that our ambulance services face.

Again, thank you for your commitment to ensuring that patients across the nation have access to vital ambulance services.

Sincerely,
John Hill
IEMSA President

Important Notice
On July 17, 2008, IEMSA set a message to its members regarding a proposed contract amendment from Wellmark. Shortly after sending this message, IEMSA received a letter from Wellmark's attorneys, stating Wellmark's opinion that IEMSA's message constituted an improper antitrust boycott. IEMSA engaged legal counsel to respond to Wellmark, and strongly disputes Wellmark's opinion that IEMSA acted in violation of the law.

IEMSA wishes to clarify that any ambulance provider who wishes to reject the Wellmark amendment must do so based on its own, individual assessment and its own independent decision. We urge all ambulance services to independently determine the impact of the Wellmark amendment on their own organizations, and to inform Wellmark prior to the August 1 deadline (which is tomorrow) if it elects to reject the amendment based on its own independent assessment of the proposed amendment and its own independent business judgment.

If any provider rejected the Wellmark amendment solely because of IEMSA's communication, and not because of their own, independent determination of the financial impact of the amendment, those providers should consult with their own legal counsel promptly. Any providers who wish to retract their previous rejection can do so in writing to Wellmark.

However, IEMSA strongly reiterates that any ambulance provider is free to reject the Wellmark amendment as long as its rejection is based on its own independent business judgment and not simply based on the IEMSA communication. If you already rejected the amendment based on your own independent business judgment, and wish to stand by your rejection, you need take no further action.

If you have any questions, please contact the IEMSA office.

Changes to IPERS Announced

• Protection Occupation Changes
• Purchasing IPERS service as a Special Service member

Iowa EMS Cruise
IEMSA is pleased to announce its very first cruise. Do you remember how cold and snowy last year's winter was? Then sign up today to join us March 15-22, 2009 aboard the spectacular Carnival Valor as we set sail around the Western Caribbean. All the details, including reservations by credit card or check, are available on the official Iowa EMS Cruise website here.