PRINTER'S NO. 3299
No. 2281 Session of 2008
INTRODUCED BY SCHRODER, CUTLER, CLYMER, CREIGHTON, GILLESPIE,
GINGRICH, HARHART, HERSHEY, KULA, MACKERETH, MAHONEY, MYERS,
ROHRER, RUBLEY, SIPTROTH, SONNEY, SWANGER, THOMAS, VEREB,
WALKO, J. WHITE AND WOJNAROSKI, MARCH 5, 2008
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON INSURANCE, MARCH 5, 2008
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of July 3, 1985 (P.L.164, No.45), entitled "An
2 act relating to the prevention and reduction of premature
3 death and disability in this Commonwealth; providing for
4 assistance, coordination and support of the development and
5 maintenance of a comprehensive emergency medical services
6 system and for qualifications, eligibility and certification
7 of emergency medical services personnel and licensing
8 ambulance services; imposing powers and duties on the
9 Department of Health; and making repeals," further providing
10 for prohibited acts.
11 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
12 hereby enacts as follows:
13 Section 1. Section 15 of the act of July 3, 1985 (P.L.164,
14 No.45), known as the Emergency Medical Services Act, is amended
15 to read:
16 Section 15. Prohibited acts.
17 (a) Making false ambulance requests.--It shall be unlawful
18 for any person to intentionally report a medical emergency and
19 summon an ambulance when such person does not have good cause to
20 believe that the services of an ambulance are needed. A person
21 violating this subsection commits a summary offense.
1 (b) Obstruction.--It is unlawful for any person to
2 intentionally impede or obstruct any ambulance attendant,
3 emergency medical technician or EMT-paramedic or health
4 professional in the performance of official duties, provided
5 that the ambulance attendant, emergency medical technician or
6 EMT-paramedic displays accepted American Red Cross or department
7 insignia or credentials. A person violating this subsection
8 commits a summary offense.
9 (c) Impersonating ambulance personnel.--It is unlawful for
10 any person who is not an ambulance attendant, emergency medical
11 technician, EMT-paramedic or health professional to display an
12 insignia or credentials or act in any manner that would lead
13 reasonable persons to conclude that the person is an ambulance
14 attendant, emergency medical technician, EMT-paramedic or health
15 professional. A person violating this subsection commits a
16 summary offense.
17 (d) Misrepresentation of license.--It shall be unlawful for
18 any person who does not possess a valid ambulance service
19 license issued by the department to advertise, display vehicle
20 markings or exhibit any other means that would lead a reasonable
21 person to conclude that such service holds such license, is a
22 licensed service or provides a level of emergency care beyond
23 the level of care actually provided. A person violating this
24 subsection commits a summary offense.
25 (e) Payment requests.--Providers of emergency medical
26 services or any contracted third party billing and collection
27 service shall be prohibited from sending payment request
28 correspondence to enrollees, as defined in section 2102 of the
29 act of May 17, 1921 (P.L.682, No.284), known as The Insurance
30 Company Law of 1921, for services rendered within the 45-day
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1 period in which the managed care provider is required to process
2 and pay a clean claim submitted by the health care provider
3 within 45 days of receipt of the clean claim.
4 Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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