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WISCONSIN
EMS
ASSOCIATION
SUBMITS
COMMENTS
ON
FRACTIONAL
MILEAGE
PROPOSED
RULES
August
27, 2010
The
Wisconsin
EMS
Association
submitted
a
position
letter
to CMS
opposing
any
reductions
in
Medicare
reimbursement
for
ambulance
service
providers
and
suppliers
and
urged
CMS not
to adopt
the
proposed
fractional
mileage
policy.
The
Centers
for
Medicare
and
Medicaid
Services
(CMS)
recently
published
a
Proposed
Rule
that
would
require
ambulance
services
to
report
mileage
to the
nearest
tenth of
a mile
for
dates of
service
on or
after
January
1, 2011.
Current
policy
allows
ambulance
services
to round
up to
the
nearest
whole
mile.
The
proposed
changes
would
apply to
all
trips up
to 100
loaded
miles.
Current
practice
of
rounding
to the
nearest
mile
would
continue
for
mileage
beyond
100
miles.
CMS
accepted
comments
on the
proposed
rules
until
August
24,
2010. If
the
Proposed
Rule
remains
unchanged,
ambulance
services
could
suffer
drastic
decreases
in
Medicare
reimbursement
in
subsequent
years
while
CMS
stands
to gain
up to
$80
million
per year
in
savings.
The
position
letter,
which
was
developed
with the
help of
sample
letters
provided
by PWW &
AAA, can
be found
here. |
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ASSOCIATION
ATTENDS
PUBLIC
HEARING
AND
REACTS
TO
PROPOSED
DHS 110
RULES
August
16, 2010
Following
attendance
at one
of the
five
public
hearings
held
during
the week
of
August 2nd,
the
Wisconsin
EMS
Association
submitted
four
pages of
comments
to the
State
EMS
Section
on the
proposed
rules.
In the
document,
the
Association
commended
the EMS
Office,
the EMS
Advisory
Board,
and
other
EMS
stakeholders
for
their
input
and
tremendous
amount
of
diligence
and hard
work
over the
last few
years to
bring
this
project
to
fruition.
The
Association
went on
record
in
support
of
consolidating
the five
levels
of EMS
providers
into a
single
administrative
rules
chapter
acknowledging
that
this
will
greatly
clarify
and
alleviate
current
inconsistencies
in the
existing
standards.
Overall,
the
Association
was in
support
of the
majority
of the
proposed
revisions
and
provided
recommendations
for
resolution
for some
sections
that
contained
inconsistent
or
inaccurate
language.
While
the
Association
is
pleased
to have
been
successful
in
lobbying
efforts
the
resulted
in the
elimination
of
licensing
fees in
the
previous
drafts
of the
rules,
the
proposed
rules
contained
administrative
and
processing
fees
that the
Association
opposed.
Throughout
the
entire
document,
there
were
seven
elements
that the
Association
opposed.
The full
version
of the
Association’s
comments
can be
found in
the
library
section
or by
clicking
here.
The
Numbered
Memo
Series
can be
viewed
on the
State
EMS
office’s
website
here. |
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Wisconsin
EMS
Association
launches
student
membership
program
June 15,
2010
Students
just
getting
involved
with EMS
now have
an
opportunity
to get
involved
with the
Wisconsin
EMS
Association
in a
special
way.
WEMSA
has
launched
a
student
subscription
program,
which is
available
to EMS
students
during
their
initial
EMS
training
in first
responder
or EMT-Basic
through
state-approved
training
centers.
The $10
one-year
introductory
membership
includes
a
one-year
online
subscription
to
EMS
Professionals
magazine
and
other
individual
member
benefits
offered
to
regular
members,
including
a
discount
to the
annual
Working
Together
Conference
&
Exposition.
Students
can take
advantage
of the
discounted
rate for
one
year;
past or
renewing
members
are not
eligible.
It is
not
offered
in
conjunction
with
corporate/service
associations.
The
student
membership
program
will
increase
awareness
of the
Association
and our
Service
members.
To
qualify
for the
student
membership,
students
must
provide
information
on their
training
center,
classes
enrolled
and
dates
attending.
Apply
Today!
Any
Questions
contact
Rich
Adams,
Director
of
Sales/Marketing
and
Customer
Service,
at
800-793-6820
or email
him at
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Wemsa
teams up
with
millers
first
insurance
May 25,
2010
Millers
First
Insurance
is happy
to
announce
a new
benefit
for
members
of the
Wisconsin
EMS
Association.
Millers
First
Insurance
has
teamed
up with
the
Wisconsin
EMS
Association
to offer
the
WEMSA
Personal
Lines
Insurance
Program.
This
program
offers
auto and
home
insurance
protection
at
special
members
only
rates
that are
not
available
to the
general
public.
The
Program
also has
other
insurance
products
available
for just
about
all of
your
personal
insurance
needs.
WEMSA
members
are
eligible
to
receive
a 10%
discount
on auto
and home
insurance.
Save
even
more
when you
insure
both
your
home and
auto
with
Millers
First
and you
can
select a
member
only,
specially
priced,
low-cost
Towing
and
Emergency
Road
Service
plus
Rental
Car
Package.
Find out
if this
program
is right
for you
by
requesting
a free
no-obligation
quote.
It’s
quick
and
simple!
Just
call
Millers
First at
1-877-623-6477
or for
more
information
about
Millers
visit
their
website
at
www.millersfirst.com. |
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Mexican
Riviera
Cruise
Announced
May 20,
2010
Warm
weather
EMS
cruisers
rejoice!
The 7th
EMS
Cruise
will be
departing
from Los
Angeles,
CA (Long
Beach)
on
Sunday,
March 6,
2011 for
a
seven-day
adventure
to the
beautiful
Mexican
Riviera.
The
journey's
ports of
call
include
Puerto
Vallarta,
where
the
variety
of
activities
and
landscape
available
are sure
to
satisfy
the
wants
and
needs of
every
EMS
Cruiser.
The next
day it's
off to
Mazatlan,
your hot
spot for
enjoying
world-class
water
sports
or
relaxing
on the
soft-sand
beaches.
Cabo San
Lucas
caps off
a most
excellent
itinerary
and
provides
you
ample
opportunity
to enjoy
a
championship
round of
golf,
deep sea
fishing,
or just
enjoy
the
amazing
and
oft-photographed
rock
formations
that
adorn
the
seaside.
Begin
your
journey
at
www.EMSCruise.com
today! |
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OJA Now Accepting
Pre-applications for VHF
Public Safety Radio
Funding
September 1, 2010
The Office of Justice
Assistance is now
accepting
pre-applications for
funding to replace and
upgrade existing VHF
public safety radios.
The pre-applications
will be used by OJA to
determine eligibility
for the Round 6 radio
replacement grants. The
pre-application
submission is open to
any local or tribal
public safety agency in
Wisconsin that has not
received an OJA-funded
radio through the mutual
aid radio replacement
program in the past.
The key purpose of this
program is to enhance
wide access to VHF
mutual aid channels
among Wisconsin’s law
enforcement, fire, EMS,
and emergency management
agencies. Other
supporting agencies may
be considered if funding
is sufficiently
available. Note that
while this program may
tangentially help with
local agency migration
to narrow band operation
that is not the issue
this program is intended
to address - or the key
strategic purpose of the
program. The deadline
for submission of
pre-applications is
Friday, October 8, 2010.
More information is
available
here.
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ReadyWisconsin announces
Trivia Challenge and
September events
August 31, 2010
To encourage the
citizens of Wisconsin to
take steps to prepare
for a potential crisis,
Governor Jim Doyle has
proclaimed September as
Wisconsin Preparedness
Month. Wisconsin
Emergency Management is
urging citizens to start
preparing for
emergencies by visiting
ReadyWisconsin.wi.gov,
the website for
Wisconsin Emergency
Management’s
preparedness campaign,
ReadyWisconsin. The site
provides information on
how to build a disaster
kit, how to make an
action plan and how to
be informed about
dangers and impending
threats.
While at the
ReadyWisconsin website,
users can participate in
the ReadyWisconsin
Trivia Challenge!
Everyone who tries to
answer the preparedness
question is
automatically qualified
to win great prizes
including emergency
weather radios and
ReadyWisconsin coffee
mugs.
During September,
ReadyWisconsin will be
represented at a wide
range of events
including:
The ReadyWisconsin team
will also make media and
civic group appearances
throughout the state to
spread the preparedness
message. Dates for these
events are available on
the ReadyWisconsin
website. To learn more
about ReadyWisconsin or
to plan a preparedness
presentation for your
organization, contact
Tod Pritchard,
Preparedness Coordinator
for ReadyWisconsin, at
608-242-3324 or
tod.pritchard@wisconsin.gov.
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Bill targets spitting or
throwing bodily fluids
on medical personnel
April 5, 2010
The Assembly Criminal
Justice Committee held a
public hearing on March
18 on a bill that would
make it easier to
prosecute people who
threw bodily substances
at EMS and other public
safety personnel.
Under current law,
prosecutors can charge
people throw blood or
other bodily substances
or spit at public safety
personnel with a Class I
felony. But prosecutors
must prove that the
person intended that the
bodily substances come
in contact with the
public safety worker and
that the person intended
to cause bodily harm.
County prosecutors often
have a hard time
securing a conviction
because that later
element is difficult to
prove in court.
Assembly Bill 775
changes the law and
makes it unnecessary to
prove the person
intended to cause harm.
The bill would apply to
an emergency medical
technician, a first
responder, a law
enforcement officer, a
fire fighter, or a
person operating or
staffing an ambulance. A
companion bill, Senate
Bill 334, is working its
way through the Senate.
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