Alabama House Bill HB231

Alabama 2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/14/26
• Refer: 1/14/26

Caption

Emergency medical transport providers assessment, sunset clause removed

Summary

HB231 would amend Alabama law governing the emergency medical transport provider assessment and related Medicaid enhancement payments. Under current law, emergency medical transport providers pay a quarterly assessment that helps fund additional Medicaid payments intended to support the maintenance and expansion of emergency medical transport services. The bill removes the existing sunset date, which is currently tied to the fiscal quarter beginning July 1, 2028, and makes the assessment permanent. The bill keeps the basic structure of the program in place: the Department of Revenue, in consultation with the Alabama Medicaid Agency, would continue to set a quarterly assessment rate up to a maximum of 5.3 percent, and providers would continue to file quarterly reports and maintain records. The Alabama Medicaid Agency would continue to make quarterly enhancement payments to providers based on Medicaid transports, with total payments limited by the assessment pool and rates tied to the difference between Medicaid reimbursement and average commercial insurer rates. The bill also preserves confidentiality rules for taxpayer/provider information and the department’s authority to adopt implementing rules.

Impact

HB231 would amend Sections 40-26B-91, 40-26B-94, and 40-26B-95 of the Code of Alabama 1975 by removing the sunset clause from the emergency medical transport assessment program. As a result, the assessment on emergency medical transport providers, the associated reporting and recordkeeping requirements, and the Medicaid enhancement payment mechanism would continue beyond July 1, 2028 unless changed by future legislation. The bill would affect emergency medical transport providers, the Alabama Department of Revenue, and the Alabama Medicaid Agency, while continuing to support indigent care and Medicaid financing for emergency transport services.

Sentiment

The available context suggests the bill is generally supportive of preserving an existing financing mechanism for emergency medical transport services, with no recorded committee debate or votes showing opposition. The bill’s stated purpose emphasizes indigent health care, Medicaid operations, and the maintenance and expansion of emergency medical transport services, indicating a policy goal of continuity rather than major change. Because the bill is still pending committee action and there are no transcripts or votes, there is no documented public or legislative split in the provided materials.

Contention

The main policy issue is the removal of the sunset clause, which makes a temporary assessment permanent. Potential points of contention would likely center on the ongoing financial burden on emergency medical transport providers, the continued use of an assessment to fund Medicaid enhancement payments, and whether the rate-setting authority and assessment pool remain appropriate over time. On the other side, supporters would likely emphasize the need for stable funding for emergency transport services, indigent care, and Medicaid reimbursement support. No specific objections or named opponents appear in the provided record.