HR4011-119

What This Bill Does

The Community Paramedicine Act creates a grant program in Public Health Service Act section 330A. HHS, through HRSA, must award grants to eligible entities supporting rural community paramedicine programs. Funds can be used to hire, recruit, and retain community paramedicine personnel; pay medical director oversight costs; buy equipment, PPE, uniforms, medical supplies, and vehicles; reimburse certification and recertification; conduct public outreach; and support other approved paramedicine activities. Eligible applicants include emergency medical services agencies, states, Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, counties, municipalities, and organizations representing EMS interests. For-profit entities cannot apply. Grantees may make subgrants or contracts. Applications must describe financial need and costs and benefits. HHS must appoint an advisory board, after consulting national community paramedicine, fire service, EMS, and Tribal health organizations, to advise on the program and peer review applications. Selection considers advisory board recommendations and rural need. HHS must notify heads of Tribal emergency management. Awards are capped at $750,000 for a single applicant and $1,500,000 for joint applicants, may last up to five years, and can use no more than 10 percent for first-year administrative costs and 5 percent in later years. Grantees must report activities and results. Community paramedicine is defined as mobile-integrated health care using specially trained paramedics, often with other practitioners or social workers, to address health problems, reduce avoidable emergency resource use, and improve primary care access for medically underserved people and those with acute or chronic needs. Fifteen percent of grant funds must be reserved for applicants serving Tribal communities unless unobligated funds are reallocated.

Who Benefits and How

Rural EMS agencies benefit from grants for personnel, vehicles, supplies, certification, medical oversight, and outreach. Rural patients benefit from mobile-integrated care that can reduce avoidable emergency use and improve primary care access. Community paramedicine personnel benefit from hiring, recruitment, retention, certification, and recertification funding. Tribal communities benefit from a 15 percent grant reservation and required notice to Tribal emergency management leaders. EMS organizations benefit from eligibility to represent one or more emergency medical services organizations in applications.

Who Bears the Burden and How

HRSA grant staff must run the program, appoint an advisory board, review applications, and monitor reports. Grant recipients must report funded activities and results to HHS. For-profit EMS companies are ineligible to apply directly for grants. Medical directors must provide oversight for funded programs when grantees use funds for that purpose. Federal taxpayers bear the cost of the rural community paramedicine grant program.

Key Provisions

• Creates HRSA rural community paramedicine grants.
• Authorizes uses for personnel, recruitment, retention, medical oversight, equipment, certification, outreach, and approved services.
• Limits eligibility to EMS agencies, governments, Tribes, Tribal organizations, counties, municipalities, and EMS organizations.
• Prohibits for-profit entities from applying directly.
• Creates advisory board peer review and Tribal community notice.
• Caps awards at $750,000 for individual applicants and $1,500,000 for joint applicants.
• Limits grant periods to five years and administrative costs to 10 percent in year one and 5 percent afterward.
• Requires activity and results reporting and reserves 15 percent for applicants serving Tribal communities.