144E.55 RURAL EMS UNCOMPENSATED CARE POOL PAYMENT PROGRAM.

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Subdivision 1. Definitions.

(a)For purposes of this section, the following terms have the meanings given.

(b)"Eligible licensee" means a licensee that primarily provides ambulance services outside the metropolitan counties listed in section 473.121, subdivision 4 .

(c)"Public safety answering point" has the meaning given in section 403.02, subdivision 19.

Subd. 2. Payment program established.

The director must establish and administer a rural EMS uncompensated care pool payment program. Under the program, the director must make payments to eligible licensees according to this section.

Subd. 3. Excluded responses.

The director must exclude EMS responses by specialized life support, as described in section 144E.101, subdivision 9 , in calculating payments under this section.

Subd. 4. Application process.

(a)An eligible licensee seeking a payment under this section must apply to the director each year by March 31, in the form and manner determined by the director. In the application, the eligible licensee must specify the number of the eligible licensee's EMS responses that meet the criteria in subdivision 5.

(b)When an eligible licensee, an eligible licensee's parent company, a subsidiary of an eligible licensee, or a subsidiary of an eligible licensee's parent company collectively hold multiple licenses, the director must treat all such related licensees as a single eligible licensee.

Subd. 5. Eligible EMS responses.

In order for an EMS response to be an eligible EMS response for purposes of subdivision 6, the EMS response must meet the following criteria:

(1)the EMS response was initiated by a request for emergency medical services initially received by a public safety answering point;

(2)an ambulance responded to the scene;

(3)the ambulance was not canceled while en route to the scene;

(4)the ambulance did not transport a person from the scene to a hospital emergency department;

(5)the eligible licensee did not receive any payment for the EMS response from any source; and

(6)the EMS response was initiated between January 1 and December 31 of the year prior to the year the application is submitted.

Subd. 6. Calculations.

(a)The director must calculate payments as provided in paragraphs

(b)and

(c)for an eligible licensee that completes an application under subdivision 4.

(b)The director must award points for eligible EMS responses as follows:

(1)for eligible EMS responses one to 25, an eligible licensee is awarded ten points per response;

(2)for eligible EMS responses 26 to 50, an eligible licensee is awarded five points per response;

(3)for eligible EMS responses 51 to 100, an eligible licensee is awarded three points per response;

(4)for eligible EMS responses 101 to 200, an eligible licensee is awarded one point per response; and

(5)for eligible EMS responses exceeding 200, an eligible licensee is awarded zero points.

(c)The director must total the number of all points awarded to all applying eligible licensees under paragraph (b). The director must divide the amount appropriated for purposes of this section by the total number of points awarded to determine a per-point amount. The payment for each eligible licensee shall be calculated by multiplying the eligible licensee's number of awarded points by the established per-point amount.

Subd. 7. Payment.

The director must certify the payment amount for each eligible licensee and must make the full payment to each eligible licensee by May 30 each year.