Senate committee narrows EMS reimbursement bill to Medicaid, moves it to Appropriations

Lawmakers in the Senate Health and Human Services Committee voted to advance an amended version of House Bill 10‑69 advancing a Medicaid‑first approach to reimburse EMS agencies for treatment‑in‑place services.

Senator Mullica, sponsor of the bill, said treatment‑in‑place and mobile integrated health services have saved money and kept patients out of the emergency department but that EMS agencies are often uncompensated for non‑transport care. Mullica said a stakeholder compromise narrowed the bill to Medicaid so it can provide immediate help to the Medicaid population while continuing discussions with commercial carriers.

Multiple EMS providers and community paramedics testified in favor. Reuben Farnsworth, deputy chief for a Delta County ambulance district, gave a one‑year example where a mobile‑integrated program delivered care that the witnesses said saved Medicaid and Medicare payments versus the higher billed charges for transport and facility care. James McLaughlin, a community paramedic, and Tim Deanst (Emergency Medical Services Association of Colorado) described rural examples and urged support to avoid closure of ambulance services.

Senators adopted amendment L9 to remove the commercial market application and confined the bill to Medicaid reimbursement; sponsors said that change addressed carrier concerns. The committee moved House Bill 10‑69, as amended, to the Committee on Appropriations with a favorable recommendation; the motion passed unanimously.

The measure will next go to Appropriations for fiscal review and potential language on commercial market application in a later cycle.