To enact sections 3902.65, 4765.362, and 5164.11 of the Revised Code to establish community paramedicine programs and to require insurance coverage for services provided under those programs.
SB220 would create a statutory framework for community paramedicine programs in Ohio. Under the bill, an emergency medical service organization could establish a program allowing EMT-basics, EMT-intermediates, and paramedics to provide nonemergency medical services in the community under the direction of a medical director or cooperating physician advisory board. The bill identifies examples of eligible services, including chronic disease management, health assessments, home safety and fall prevention, medication compliance, referrals to community services, post-surgical follow-up, care coordination, and health education.
The bill also requires health benefit plans and Medicaid to cover qualifying services provided through these community paramedicine programs. For private insurance, coverage would apply to plans issued, delivered, or renewed in Ohio on or after the effective date if the plan already covers similar services performed by EMTs in other settings. For Medicaid, coverage would be required when the EMS organization has a valid Medicaid provider agreement, the services are provided to Medicaid recipients, and the services comply with the new program requirements. The bill further allows services to be delivered through telehealth and permits partnerships with health care providers, facilities, and other entities, as well as programs aimed at identifying social determinants of health.
In practical terms, SB220 would expand the role of EMS personnel beyond emergency response and into preventive, follow-up, and care-coordination functions. It would also add new coverage mandates to Ohio insurance law and Medicaid law, which could increase access to community-based care while potentially affecting payer costs and administrative requirements. The bill would amend or add provisions in Chapters 3902, 4765, and 5164 of the Revised Code.
The available legislative record does not include committee testimony or recorded votes, so there is no documented floor or committee sentiment to summarize. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears designed to support innovative, community-based health care delivery and to align payment policy with that model.
Potential points of contention are likely to center on insurance and Medicaid coverage mandates, the scope of services EMTs may provide outside traditional emergency response, training and oversight requirements, and whether the programs could shift costs or responsibilities among EMS agencies, insurers, and Medicaid. Supporters would likely emphasize improved access, care coordination, and prevention, while critics may focus on implementation burden, reimbursement impacts, and the need to ensure patient safety and clear clinical supervision.
SB220 would add new sections to the Ohio Revised Code governing insurance coverage, EMS practice, and Medicaid reimbursement. It would require health benefit plans to cover community paramedicine services to the same extent they cover comparable EMT-provided services, and it would require Medicaid coverage for qualifying services delivered under an approved community paramedicine program. The bill would also authorize EMS organizations to establish these programs, subject to medical oversight, protocols, training, and continuing education requirements, and would permit telehealth and partnerships with health care and community entities.
No committee transcripts or votes are available, so there is no recorded legislative sentiment in the provided materials. The bill’s structure suggests a generally supportive policy approach toward expanding access to nonemergency care and integrating EMS into community health delivery, but the absence of recorded debate means any support or opposition is not documented here.
The main likely areas of contention are the insurance and Medicaid coverage mandates, the expansion of EMT duties into nonemergency care, and the administrative and financial impact on payers and EMS organizations. Questions may arise about what services are appropriate under community paramedicine, how training and supervision will be enforced, and whether the model could create new costs or liability concerns. Support would likely come from advocates of rural health access, preventive care, and care coordination, while opposition could come from insurers or others concerned about mandated coverage and implementation complexity.