AlabamaAlabama law requires ongoing charges from emergency medical transport providers
Alabama's law requires ongoing quarterly charges from emergency medical transport providers and provides extra Medicaid payments within the collected pool, subject to federal approval rules.
What it does
Emergency medical transport providers pay quarterly charges based on their transport revenue and report their activity to the state. These requirements have no scheduled end date.
Extra Medicaid payments for emergency transports have no scheduled end date. Payments stay within the provider-charge pool, and separate rules apply to quarters without federal approval.
Argument forExtra payments could help providers cover Medicaid transport costs, when federal approval rules allow, by addressing the gap with commercial insurance payments.
Argument againstOngoing charges on transport revenue could leave providers with less money for operations, since the charges apply alongside other taxes.
More detail
Emergency medical transport providers pay quarterly charges and report their transport activity and revenue to the state agency collecting those charges. Each emergency medical transport provider owes a charge based on its transport revenue from the previous quarter. The collecting agency sets the rate in consultation with the Alabama Medicaid Agency. The stated maximum is 5.3 percent, with an additional qualification in Section 40-26B-98(b). Providers file reports within 15 days after each quarter ends and keep supporting records for at least three years. The law took effect October 1, 2026.
The Alabama Medicaid Agency provides extra quarterly payments for emergency medical transports for which Medicaid is the primary payer. Payments use the previous quarter's eligible Medicaid transports and a rate based on the gap between Medicaid and average commercial insurance payments. Total extra payments cannot exceed the pool of money collected through provider charges. Section 40-26B-97 governs quarters when federal approval has not been obtained by the first day; that section is not included. The law took effect October 1, 2026. Extra payments are due by each quarter's last day, except when the separate federal-approval rule applies.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed Senate
- Passed House
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Apr 9EnactedBecame Law
- Apr 2Ready to Enroll
- Apr 2EnrolledTo Governor
- Apr 2Signature Requested
- Apr 2Delivered to GovernorMinor
- Apr 1Third Reading in Second House
- Vote recorded Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 1133. Result: pass.Lower
- Vote recorded Third Reading in Second House. Result: pass.Lower
- Apr 1Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 1133Passed House
- Mar 31Reported Out of Committee Second House
- Mar 31Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar (Ways and Means General Fund)Minor
- Mar 12Read for the first time and referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means General FundMinor
- Mar 12Pending Committee Action in Second House (Ways and Means General Fund)
- Mar 11Third Reading in House of Origin
- Vote recorded Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 821. Result: pass.Upper
- Vote recorded Third Reading in House of Origin. Result: pass.Upper
- Mar 11Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 821Passed Senate
- Mar 10Reported Out of Committee House of Origin
- Mar 10Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar (Finance and Taxation General Fund)Minor
- Jan 14Read for the first time and referred to the Senate Committee on Finance and Taxation General FundMinor
- Jan 14Pending Committee Action in House of Origin (Finance and Taxation General Fund)Introduced
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