{"id":13482,"date":"2021-05-18T09:49:53","date_gmt":"2021-05-18T09:49:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\/blog\/?p=13482"},"modified":"2025-10-24T09:51:09","modified_gmt":"2025-10-24T09:51:09","slug":"ambulance-transport-waiver-cost-sharing-obligations-updates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\/blog\/ambulance-transport-waiver-cost-sharing-obligations-updates\/","title":{"rendered":"Ambulance Transport Waiver &#8211; Cost-Sharing Obligations Updates"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Office of Inspector General (OIG) recognizes that, in the present public health emergency resultant from the outbreak of the COVID-19, the health care industry must focus on delivering the required treatment to patients. Let&#8217;s discuss in more detail about Cost-Sharing Obligations Updates.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: left;\">OIG\u2019s Part in Cost-Sharing Obligations<\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">As part of OIG&#8217;s mission to encourage economy, efficiency, and effectiveness in HHS programs, CMS is committed to protecting patients by confirming that health care providers have the regulatory flexibility required to appropriately answer to COVID-19. As a result, OIG is accepting inquiries from the health care community about the appliance of OIG&#8217;s administrative enforcement authorities, including the Federal AKS and civil monetary penalty (CMP) provision prohibiting inducements to beneficiaries.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Do you have a question regarding how OIG would view a preparation that is directly linked to the public health emergency and implicates these authorities, you can now email your question to <a href=\"mailto:OIGComplianceSuggestions@oig.hhs.gov\">OIG Compliance<\/a>. While you submit your questions, please provide sufficient facts to permit for an understanding of the key parties and terms of the arrangement in dispute. OIG answers are openly available through frequently asked questions (FAQ) posting on the OIG COVID-19 <a href=\"https:\/\/oig.hhs.gov\/coronavirus\/\">portal<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\">Cost-Sharing Obligations Waiver FAQ<\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">What are the consequences, under OIG&#8217;s administrative sanction authorities, of an ambulance provider or supplier waiving or write off beneficiary cost-sharing obligations resulting from ground ambulance services paid for by the Medicare program under a waiver established pursuant to section 1135 (b) (9) of the Social Security Act?<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">OIG responded that the ambulance provider or supplier waiving or write off beneficiary cost-sharing obligations resulting from ground ambulance services paid for by the Medicare program under a waiver established pursuant to section 1135 (b) (9) of the Social Security Act would implicate the Federal anti-kickback statute and Beneficiary Inducements CMP.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Generally, an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\/speciality\/ambulance-transportation-medical-billing-services.html\">ambulance<\/a> provider waiving beneficiary cost-sharing obligations implicates the AKS and the beneficiary inducement CMP. According to Ambulance Fee Schedule, 80% of the approved amount paid by Medicare Part B, and for the remaining 20% as well as the applicable Part B deductible the beneficiary is responsible.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The government is interested to know that providers waving the co-payment amount will be incentivized from the provider so that patients can receive further covered services. OIG believes that such co-payments waivers and incentives have a sufficiently low risk of fraud and abuse. OIG will not need ground ambulance providers to accumulate beneficiary cost-sharing before they claim Medicare bills for such services.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Currently, each state, local and municipal authorities established communitywide EMS protocols requiring or allowing ambulance providers and suppliers to treat certain patients, including Medicare beneficiaries, &#8220;in place&#8221; who otherwise, but for the pandemic, would have been transported to a Medicare-covered destination.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Routine waivers of cost-sharing obligations implicate the Federal anti-kickback statute and therefore the civil monetary penalty provision prohibiting inducements to beneficiaries and should end in overutilization or inappropriate utilization of things and services reimbursable by Federal health care programs.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">In light of those EMS protocols, on May 5, 2021, pursuant to section 1135(b)(9) of the Social Security Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services waived certain statutory <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cms.gov\/files\/document\/covid-19-emergency-declaration-waivers.pdf\">requirements<\/a> concerning to Medicare payments for ground ambulance services furnished in response to a 911 call. Generally, Medicare billing requires such type of transportation before a ground ambulance provider can get Medicare reimbursement.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hhs.gov\/guidance\/document\/oig-covid-19-faqs-ambulance-cost-sharing-faq\">HHS<\/a>, the FAQ is a complimentary answer related to ambulance providers and suppliers waiving or write off beneficiary cost-sharing obligations causing from ground ambulance services reimbursed for under the CMS waiver that waives certain statutory necessities relating to Medicare payment for ground ambulance services.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">To know more about Ambulance Transportation billing services, contact us at <a href=\"mailto:info@medicalbillersandcoders.com\">info@medicalbillersandcoders.com<\/a>\u00a0\/\u00a0<a href=\"tel:888-357-3226\"><strong>888-357-3226<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>FAQs<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"schema-faq wp-block-yoast-faq-block\"><div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1761299422604\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">1. What role does the OIG play in cost-sharing obligations during the COVID-19 pandemic?<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">The OIG provides regulatory flexibility to healthcare providers, ensuring they can address public health emergencies while maintaining compliance with federal laws like the Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS).<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1761299433824\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">2. Can ambulance providers waive beneficiary cost-sharing obligations?<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Yes, under certain circumstances during the pandemic, ambulance providers can waive cost-sharing obligations. OIG has determined these waivers carry a low risk of fraud or abuse.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1761299442747\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">3. What are the implications of waiving cost-sharing under the Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS)?<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Waiving cost-sharing generally implicates the AKS and the Beneficiary Inducements Civil Monetary Penalty (CMP) provisions. However, specific pandemic-related waivers reduce these concerns when implemented appropriately.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1761299450941\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">4. What is the impact of EMS protocols on ambulance billing?<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">During the pandemic, EMS protocols allowed ambulance providers to treat certain patients &#8220;in place&#8221; without transport, and CMS issued waivers permitting Medicare reimbursement for these services.<\/p> <\/div> <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Office of Inspector General (OIG) recognizes that, in the present public health emergency resultant from the outbreak of the COVID-19, the health care industry must focus on delivering the required treatment to patients. Let&#8217;s discuss in more detail about Cost-Sharing Obligations Updates. OIG\u2019s Part in Cost-Sharing Obligations As part of OIG&#8217;s mission to encourage [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":13483,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[869],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13482","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ambulance-transportation-billing-services"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.8 (Yoast SEO v27.8) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Ambulance Transport Waiver - Cost-Sharing Obligations Updates<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Generally, an ambulance provider waiving beneficiary cost-sharing obligations implicates the AKS and the beneficiary inducement CMP.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\/blog\/ambulance-transport-waiver-cost-sharing-obligations-updates\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Ambulance Transport Waiver - Cost-Sharing Obligations Updates\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Generally, an ambulance provider waiving beneficiary cost-sharing obligations implicates the AKS and the beneficiary inducement CMP.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\/blog\/ambulance-transport-waiver-cost-sharing-obligations-updates\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Medical Billing and RCM Blogs\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-05-18T09:49:53+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-10-24T09:51:09+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Blog-Ambulance-Transport-Waiver-Cost-Sharing-Obligations-Updates.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"748\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"288\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Medical Billers and Coders\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Medical Billers and Coders\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":[\"Article\",\"BlogPosting\"],\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\\\/blog\\\/ambulance-transport-waiver-cost-sharing-obligations-updates\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\\\/blog\\\/ambulance-transport-waiver-cost-sharing-obligations-updates\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Medical Billers and Coders\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/76d3509f0e1252992227e858251f1a8b\"},\"headline\":\"Ambulance Transport Waiver &#8211; Cost-Sharing Obligations Updates\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-05-18T09:49:53+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-10-24T09:51:09+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\\\/blog\\\/ambulance-transport-waiver-cost-sharing-obligations-updates\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":759,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\\\/blog\\\/ambulance-transport-waiver-cost-sharing-obligations-updates\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/Blog-Ambulance-Transport-Waiver-Cost-Sharing-Obligations-Updates.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Ambulance Transportation Billing Services\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"copyrightYear\":\"2021\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":[\"WebPage\",\"FAQPage\"],\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\\\/blog\\\/ambulance-transport-waiver-cost-sharing-obligations-updates\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\\\/blog\\\/ambulance-transport-waiver-cost-sharing-obligations-updates\\\/\",\"name\":\"Ambulance Transport Waiver - Cost-Sharing Obligations Updates\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\\\/blog\\\/ambulance-transport-waiver-cost-sharing-obligations-updates\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\\\/blog\\\/ambulance-transport-waiver-cost-sharing-obligations-updates\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/Blog-Ambulance-Transport-Waiver-Cost-Sharing-Obligations-Updates.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-05-18T09:49:53+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-10-24T09:51:09+00:00\",\"description\":\"Generally, an ambulance provider waiving beneficiary cost-sharing obligations implicates the AKS and the beneficiary inducement CMP.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\\\/blog\\\/ambulance-transport-waiver-cost-sharing-obligations-updates\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"mainEntity\":[{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\\\/blog\\\/ambulance-transport-waiver-cost-sharing-obligations-updates\\\/#faq-question-1761299422604\"},{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\\\/blog\\\/ambulance-transport-waiver-cost-sharing-obligations-updates\\\/#faq-question-1761299433824\"},{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\\\/blog\\\/ambulance-transport-waiver-cost-sharing-obligations-updates\\\/#faq-question-1761299442747\"},{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\\\/blog\\\/ambulance-transport-waiver-cost-sharing-obligations-updates\\\/#faq-question-1761299450941\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\\\/blog\\\/ambulance-transport-waiver-cost-sharing-obligations-updates\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\\\/blog\\\/ambulance-transport-waiver-cost-sharing-obligations-updates\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/Blog-Ambulance-Transport-Waiver-Cost-Sharing-Obligations-Updates.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/Blog-Ambulance-Transport-Waiver-Cost-Sharing-Obligations-Updates.jpg\",\"width\":748,\"height\":288,\"caption\":\"Ambulance Transport Waiver - Cost-Sharing Obligations Updates\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\\\/blog\\\/ambulance-transport-waiver-cost-sharing-obligations-updates\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\\\/blog\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Ambulance Transport Waiver &#8211; Cost-Sharing Obligations Updates\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"Medical Billing and RCM Blogs\",\"description\":\"Medical Billing and Coding Services in USA\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"alternateName\":\"MBC\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\\\/blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":[\"Organization\",\"Place\",\"ProfessionalService\"],\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Medical Billers and Coders\",\"alternateName\":\"MBC\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/MBC-Square-Logo.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/MBC-Square-Logo.png\",\"width\":512,\"height\":512,\"caption\":\"Medical Billers and Coders\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"telephone\":[\"888-357-3226\"],\"contactPoint\":{\"@type\":\"ContactPoint\",\"telephone\":\"888-357-3226\",\"email\":\"info@medicalbillersandcoders.com\"},\"email\":\"sales@medicalbillersandcoders.com\",\"faxNumber\":\"888-316-4566\",\"currenciesAccepted\":\"$\",\"openingHoursSpecification\":[{\"@type\":\"OpeningHoursSpecification\",\"dayOfWeek\":[\"Monday\",\"Tuesday\",\"Wednesday\",\"Thursday\",\"Friday\"],\"opens\":\"08:00\",\"closes\":\"17:00\"},{\"@type\":\"OpeningHoursSpecification\",\"dayOfWeek\":[\"Saturday\",\"Sunday\"],\"opens\":\"00:00\",\"closes\":\"00:00\"}]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/76d3509f0e1252992227e858251f1a8b\",\"name\":\"Medical Billers and Coders\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/3041c51926983b0f25500c647fc6164a5c96abebfa441f7f348298f70b360628?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/3041c51926983b0f25500c647fc6164a5c96abebfa441f7f348298f70b360628?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/3041c51926983b0f25500c647fc6164a5c96abebfa441f7f348298f70b360628?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Medical Billers and Coders\"},\"description\":\"Catering to more than 40 specialties, Medical Billers and Coders (MBC) is proficient in handling services that range from revenue cycle management to ICD-10 testing solutions. The main goal of our organization is to assist physicians looking for billers and coders, at the same time help billing specialists looking for jobs, reach the right place.\"},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\\\/blog\\\/ambulance-transport-waiver-cost-sharing-obligations-updates\\\/#faq-question-1761299422604\",\"position\":1,\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\\\/blog\\\/ambulance-transport-waiver-cost-sharing-obligations-updates\\\/#faq-question-1761299422604\",\"name\":\"1. What role does the OIG play in cost-sharing obligations during the COVID-19 pandemic?\",\"answerCount\":1,\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The OIG provides regulatory flexibility to healthcare providers, ensuring they can address public health emergencies while maintaining compliance with federal laws like the Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS).\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\\\/blog\\\/ambulance-transport-waiver-cost-sharing-obligations-updates\\\/#faq-question-1761299433824\",\"position\":2,\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\\\/blog\\\/ambulance-transport-waiver-cost-sharing-obligations-updates\\\/#faq-question-1761299433824\",\"name\":\"2. Can ambulance providers waive beneficiary cost-sharing obligations?\",\"answerCount\":1,\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Yes, under certain circumstances during the pandemic, ambulance providers can waive cost-sharing obligations. OIG has determined these waivers carry a low risk of fraud or abuse.\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\\\/blog\\\/ambulance-transport-waiver-cost-sharing-obligations-updates\\\/#faq-question-1761299442747\",\"position\":3,\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\\\/blog\\\/ambulance-transport-waiver-cost-sharing-obligations-updates\\\/#faq-question-1761299442747\",\"name\":\"3. What are the implications of waiving cost-sharing under the Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS)?\",\"answerCount\":1,\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Waiving cost-sharing generally implicates the AKS and the Beneficiary Inducements Civil Monetary Penalty (CMP) provisions. However, specific pandemic-related waivers reduce these concerns when implemented appropriately.\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\\\/blog\\\/ambulance-transport-waiver-cost-sharing-obligations-updates\\\/#faq-question-1761299450941\",\"position\":4,\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\\\/blog\\\/ambulance-transport-waiver-cost-sharing-obligations-updates\\\/#faq-question-1761299450941\",\"name\":\"4. What is the impact of EMS protocols on ambulance billing?\",\"answerCount\":1,\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"During the pandemic, EMS protocols allowed ambulance providers to treat certain patients \\\"in place\\\" without transport, and CMS issued waivers permitting Medicare reimbursement for these services.\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Ambulance Transport Waiver - Cost-Sharing Obligations Updates","description":"Generally, an ambulance provider waiving beneficiary cost-sharing obligations implicates the AKS and the beneficiary inducement CMP.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\/blog\/ambulance-transport-waiver-cost-sharing-obligations-updates\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Ambulance Transport Waiver - Cost-Sharing Obligations Updates","og_description":"Generally, an ambulance provider waiving beneficiary cost-sharing obligations implicates the AKS and the beneficiary inducement CMP.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\/blog\/ambulance-transport-waiver-cost-sharing-obligations-updates\/","og_site_name":"Medical Billing and RCM Blogs","article_published_time":"2021-05-18T09:49:53+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-10-24T09:51:09+00:00","og_image":[{"width":748,"height":288,"url":"https:\/\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Blog-Ambulance-Transport-Waiver-Cost-Sharing-Obligations-Updates.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Medical Billers and Coders","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Medical Billers and Coders","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":["Article","BlogPosting"],"@id":"https:\/\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\/blog\/ambulance-transport-waiver-cost-sharing-obligations-updates\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\/blog\/ambulance-transport-waiver-cost-sharing-obligations-updates\/"},"author":{"name":"Medical Billers and Coders","@id":"https:\/\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/76d3509f0e1252992227e858251f1a8b"},"headline":"Ambulance Transport Waiver &#8211; Cost-Sharing Obligations Updates","datePublished":"2021-05-18T09:49:53+00:00","dateModified":"2025-10-24T09:51:09+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\/blog\/ambulance-transport-waiver-cost-sharing-obligations-updates\/"},"wordCount":759,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\/blog\/ambulance-transport-waiver-cost-sharing-obligations-updates\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Blog-Ambulance-Transport-Waiver-Cost-Sharing-Obligations-Updates.jpg","articleSection":["Ambulance Transportation Billing Services"],"inLanguage":"en-US","copyrightYear":"2021","copyrightHolder":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\/blog\/#organization"}},{"@type":["WebPage","FAQPage"],"@id":"https:\/\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\/blog\/ambulance-transport-waiver-cost-sharing-obligations-updates\/","url":"https:\/\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\/blog\/ambulance-transport-waiver-cost-sharing-obligations-updates\/","name":"Ambulance Transport Waiver - Cost-Sharing Obligations Updates","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\/blog\/ambulance-transport-waiver-cost-sharing-obligations-updates\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\/blog\/ambulance-transport-waiver-cost-sharing-obligations-updates\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Blog-Ambulance-Transport-Waiver-Cost-Sharing-Obligations-Updates.jpg","datePublished":"2021-05-18T09:49:53+00:00","dateModified":"2025-10-24T09:51:09+00:00","description":"Generally, an ambulance provider waiving beneficiary cost-sharing obligations implicates the AKS and the beneficiary inducement CMP.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\/blog\/ambulance-transport-waiver-cost-sharing-obligations-updates\/#breadcrumb"},"mainEntity":[{"@id":"https:\/\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\/blog\/ambulance-transport-waiver-cost-sharing-obligations-updates\/#faq-question-1761299422604"},{"@id":"https:\/\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\/blog\/ambulance-transport-waiver-cost-sharing-obligations-updates\/#faq-question-1761299433824"},{"@id":"https:\/\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\/blog\/ambulance-transport-waiver-cost-sharing-obligations-updates\/#faq-question-1761299442747"},{"@id":"https:\/\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\/blog\/ambulance-transport-waiver-cost-sharing-obligations-updates\/#faq-question-1761299450941"}],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\/blog\/ambulance-transport-waiver-cost-sharing-obligations-updates\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\/blog\/ambulance-transport-waiver-cost-sharing-obligations-updates\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Blog-Ambulance-Transport-Waiver-Cost-Sharing-Obligations-Updates.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Blog-Ambulance-Transport-Waiver-Cost-Sharing-Obligations-Updates.jpg","width":748,"height":288,"caption":"Ambulance Transport Waiver - Cost-Sharing Obligations Updates"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\/blog\/ambulance-transport-waiver-cost-sharing-obligations-updates\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Ambulance Transport Waiver &#8211; Cost-Sharing Obligations Updates"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\/blog\/","name":"Medical Billing and RCM Blogs","description":"Medical Billing and Coding Services in USA","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\/blog\/#organization"},"alternateName":"MBC","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":["Organization","Place","ProfessionalService"],"@id":"https:\/\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Medical Billers and Coders","alternateName":"MBC","url":"https:\/\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/MBC-Square-Logo.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/MBC-Square-Logo.png","width":512,"height":512,"caption":"Medical Billers and Coders"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"telephone":["888-357-3226"],"contactPoint":{"@type":"ContactPoint","telephone":"888-357-3226","email":"info@medicalbillersandcoders.com"},"email":"sales@medicalbillersandcoders.com","faxNumber":"888-316-4566","currenciesAccepted":"$","openingHoursSpecification":[{"@type":"OpeningHoursSpecification","dayOfWeek":["Monday","Tuesday","Wednesday","Thursday","Friday"],"opens":"08:00","closes":"17:00"},{"@type":"OpeningHoursSpecification","dayOfWeek":["Saturday","Sunday"],"opens":"00:00","closes":"00:00"}]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/76d3509f0e1252992227e858251f1a8b","name":"Medical Billers and Coders","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3041c51926983b0f25500c647fc6164a5c96abebfa441f7f348298f70b360628?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3041c51926983b0f25500c647fc6164a5c96abebfa441f7f348298f70b360628?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3041c51926983b0f25500c647fc6164a5c96abebfa441f7f348298f70b360628?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Medical Billers and Coders"},"description":"Catering to more than 40 specialties, Medical Billers and Coders (MBC) is proficient in handling services that range from revenue cycle management to ICD-10 testing solutions. The main goal of our organization is to assist physicians looking for billers and coders, at the same time help billing specialists looking for jobs, reach the right place."},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\/blog\/ambulance-transport-waiver-cost-sharing-obligations-updates\/#faq-question-1761299422604","position":1,"url":"https:\/\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\/blog\/ambulance-transport-waiver-cost-sharing-obligations-updates\/#faq-question-1761299422604","name":"1. What role does the OIG play in cost-sharing obligations during the COVID-19 pandemic?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"The OIG provides regulatory flexibility to healthcare providers, ensuring they can address public health emergencies while maintaining compliance with federal laws like the Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS).","inLanguage":"en-US"},"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\/blog\/ambulance-transport-waiver-cost-sharing-obligations-updates\/#faq-question-1761299433824","position":2,"url":"https:\/\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\/blog\/ambulance-transport-waiver-cost-sharing-obligations-updates\/#faq-question-1761299433824","name":"2. Can ambulance providers waive beneficiary cost-sharing obligations?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Yes, under certain circumstances during the pandemic, ambulance providers can waive cost-sharing obligations. OIG has determined these waivers carry a low risk of fraud or abuse.","inLanguage":"en-US"},"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\/blog\/ambulance-transport-waiver-cost-sharing-obligations-updates\/#faq-question-1761299442747","position":3,"url":"https:\/\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\/blog\/ambulance-transport-waiver-cost-sharing-obligations-updates\/#faq-question-1761299442747","name":"3. What are the implications of waiving cost-sharing under the Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS)?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Waiving cost-sharing generally implicates the AKS and the Beneficiary Inducements Civil Monetary Penalty (CMP) provisions. However, specific pandemic-related waivers reduce these concerns when implemented appropriately.","inLanguage":"en-US"},"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\/blog\/ambulance-transport-waiver-cost-sharing-obligations-updates\/#faq-question-1761299450941","position":4,"url":"https:\/\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\/blog\/ambulance-transport-waiver-cost-sharing-obligations-updates\/#faq-question-1761299450941","name":"4. What is the impact of EMS protocols on ambulance billing?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"During the pandemic, EMS protocols allowed ambulance providers to treat certain patients \"in place\" without transport, and CMS issued waivers permitting Medicare reimbursement for these services.","inLanguage":"en-US"},"inLanguage":"en-US"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13482","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13482"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13482\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26609,"href":"https:\/\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13482\/revisions\/26609"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13483"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13482"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13482"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.medicalbillersandcoders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13482"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}