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ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESFifty-fifth Legislature Second Regular Session |
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HB 2609: ambulance services; service areas
Sponsor: Representative Burges, LD 1
Committee on Military Affairs & Public Safety
Overview
Outlines changes to the Department of Health Services' (DHS) certificate of necessity (CON) issuing procedures and ambulance service operations in rural areas.
History
Statute currently requires DHS to regulate operating and response times of ambulances including providing uniform standards for urban, suburban, rural and wilderness areas within the CON based on population density, geographic and medical considerations (A.R.S. § 36-2232).
DHS must prescribe a uniform accounting system for ambulance services to use that conforms to standard principles for the ambulance industry and generally accepted accounting principles (A.R.S. § 36-2232).
Current statute requires ambulance services to file an annual financial report with DHS within 180 days of the completion of its annual accounting period (A.R.S. § 36-2232).
Statute requires the director of DHS (director) to issue a CON if:
1) The applicant has at least one registered ambulance;
2) The director that public necessity requires the issuance of a CON;
3) The applicant is fit and proper to provide the service; and
4) The applicant has filed a surety bond (A.R.S. § 36-2232).
The director must hold a public hearing on any proposed action related to rates, fares, response times or CONs (A.R.S. § 36-2234).
If a CON is issued to a city or town in Arizona, the service area is defined as the geographical area within the jurisdiction of the city or town (A.R.S. § 36-2236).
Provisions
1.
Requires DHS to make quality patient
care the priority in all decision-making. (Sec. 1)
2. States DHS must review ambulance service response times every three years. (Sec. 1)
3. Requires government owned and operated ambulance services to file reports that meet generally accepted governmental accounting standards. (Sec. 1)
4. Adds that a fire department, fire district or fire authority must submit an annual financial report with DHS no later than 180 days after the completion of its annual accounting period. (Sec. 1)
5. States DHS must offer technical assistance to ambulance services to ensure compliance with rules. (Sec. 1)
6. Repeals statute that required an ambulance service to have at least one registered ambulance before the director issues a CON. (Sec. 2)
7. States that city, town, fire district or fire authority whose jurisdictional boundaries fall within a service area of CON are considered interested parties for the purposes of any hearings regarding CONs. (Sec. 3)
8. Requires the director to issue a CON to a qualified ambulance service within 90 days of receiving an application. (Sec. 3)
9. States a current CON holder in the same region may appeal the director's decision to issue a CON in the same region. (Sec. 3)
10. Requires the director to mail CON hearing notices to every ambulance service and interested party at least 15 days prior to the hearing. (Sec. 3)
11. States that CON boundaries must expand at the same rate as the jurisdictional boundaries of districts. (Sec. 4)
12. Grants a fire department, fire district or fire authority temporary authority to provided needed ambulance services in areas lacking adequate ambulance service. (Sec. 6)
13. States that temporary authority may be extended beyond 90 days for a period of time determined by the director. (Sec. 6)
14. Makes technical and conforming changes. (Sec. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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18. HB 2609
19. Initials FK Page 0 Military Affairs & Public Safety
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