The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) recently opened its application portal for agencies interested in joining the Emergency Treat, Triage, and Transport (ET3) model program. The application portal will allow agencies to submit information on how they plan to meet the ET3 program’s goal of providing more efficient and effective patient care by enabling patients to be treated in place and/or transported to alternative destinations of care. All applications are due by September 19, 2019.
CMMI included several new fact sheets and resources in this latest release of information. ET3 applicants should pay especially close attention to the ET3 Eligibility Factsheet (pdf) and ET3 Model Participant Partnership Guide (pdf). Currently, only Medicare-enrolled ambulance suppliers and providers are eligible to participate in ET3. In earlier postings, CMMI explained that they believe it will be crucial for ambulance suppliers and providers to establish partnerships with healthcare providers in their respective communities as well as other payors.
When applying to join the ET3 model, agencies must demonstrate that they have formalized partnerships with healthcare providers in their communities. While agencies aren’t necessarily required to partner with other payors, such as state Medicaid programs or commercial health insurers, such partnerships could make it easier to develop standardized procedures and patient care protocols.
Anyone looking for more information on the ET3 model is encouraged to visit CMMI’s ET3 webpage as well as review the IAFC’s prior blog post, Six Things Fire Chiefs Need to Know About ET3.
Evan Davis is the IAFC's government relations strategic manager and liaison to the EMS Section.