MLN Matters® Number: MM6631
Related Change Request (CR) #: 6631
Related CR Release Date: November 27, 2009
Effective Date: January 1, 2010
Related CR Transmittal #: R1861CP
Implementation Date: January 4, 2010
Provider Types Affected
This article is for providers and suppliers of ambulance services who bill Medicare carriers, fiscal intermediaries (FIs), or Part A/B Medicare Administrative Contractors (A/B MACs) for those services.
What You Need to Know
Change Request (CR) 6631, from which this article is taken, provides the AIF for CY 2010. The AIF for CY 2010 is zero (0).
Background
Section 1834(l) (3) (B) of the Social Security Act (the Act) provides the basis for updating payment limits that carriers, FIs, and A/B MACs use to determine how much to pay you for the claims that you submit for ambulance services.
Specifically, this section of the Act provides for a 2010 payment update that is equal to the percentage increase in the urban consumer price index (CPI-U), for the 12-month period ending with June of the previous year. The resulting percentage is referred to as the AIF.
The following table displays the AIF for CY 2010 and for the previous 7 years.
Ambulance Inflation Factor by CY
|
Year
|
Percentage of Inflation
|
|
2010
|
0.0%
|
|
2009
|
5.0%
|
|
2008
|
2.7%
|
|
2007
|
4.3%
|
|
2006
|
2.5%
|
|
2005
|
3.3%
|
|
2004
|
2.1%
|
|
2003
|
1.1%
|
Additional Information
If you have any questions, please contact the Palmetto GBA Provider Contact Center at their toll-free number, (866) 332-7025 (Ohio and West Virginia) or (888) 828-2090 (South Carolina Part B).
Disclaimer
This article was prepared as a service to the public and is not intended to grant rights or impose obligations. This article may contain references or links to statutes, regulations, or other policy materials. The information provided is only intended to be a general summary. It is not intended to take the place of either the written law or regulations. We encourage readers to review the specific statutes, regulations and other interpretive materials for a full and accurate statement of their contents.