WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) reintroduced the Preserving Emergency Access in Key Sites (PEAKS) Act. The PEAKS Act would ensure Critical Access Hospitals in mountainous areas receive fair compensation for ambulatory services and modify distance requirements.
“As residents of the Mountain State, we are proud of our beautiful peaks, however, we are also aware of the transportation challenges—especially for ambulances—that exist due to our mountainous topography. I’m proud to introduce the PEAKS Act to address this challenge and ensure even our most rural residents can depend on ambulance services, as well as ensure our critical access hospitals are able to provide the best care possible,” Senator Capito said.
“Far too often, people in mountainous regions struggle to receive timely, affordable emergency care when they need it most,” said Senator Padilla. “California’s 37 Critical Access Hospitals help fill critical coverage gaps by providing emergency medical services in these rural areas, yet with two thirds of them operating in the red, we need to act quickly to prevent more ambulance service closures. Our bipartisan PEAKS Act would make commonsense updates to help Critical Access Hospitals in mountainous areas get Medicare reimbursements for the emergency care they provide.”
The Preserving Emergency Access in Key Sites Act would:
The Preserving Emergency Access in Key Sites is supported by the West Virginia Hospital Association, California Hospital Association, Arkansas Hospital Association, Hospital Association of Oregon, Utah Hospital Association and Wyoming Hospital Association.
To read the full text of the bill, click here.