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​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Medi-Cal Ground Emergency Medical Transportation Supplemental Reimbursement Program

GEMT Program Overview

California Welfare and Institutions (W&I) Code § 14105.94 , enacted October 2, 2011, authorized the Ground Emergency Medical Transportation Services (GEMT) supplemental reimbursement program. This voluntary Certified Public Expenditure (CPE) based program provides additional funding to eligible governmental entities that provide GEMT services to Medi-Cal beneficiaries. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) approved State Plan Amendment (SPA) 09-024 on September 4, 2013, authorizing the federal share of the supplemental reimbursement payments based on uncompensated costs for Medi-Cal fee-for-service transports, effective January 30, 2010.

GEMT Program Eligibility

For a publicly owned GEMT service provider to be eligible for the program, the following requirements must be met, as specified in  Welfare and Institutions (W&I) Code § 14105.94 :

  • Provided GEMT services to Medi-Cal beneficiaries (further defined in SPA 09-024 ),
  • Be enrolled as a Medi-Cal provider for the period being claimed, and
  • Are owned or operated by an eligible governmental entity, to include the state, a city, county, city and county, fire protection district, special district, community services district, health care district, or a federally recognized Indian tribe.

 

Eligible providers who choose to participate in the GEMT program must also,

  • Enter into a Provider Participation Agreement (PPA) with the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), and 
  • Agree to reimburse DHCS for their allocated share of the administrative costs associated with overseeing the program (The provider’s allocated administrative share will be collected by Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District on behalf of DHCS).

GEMT Reimbursement

GEMT service providers eligible to participate in this program will receive supplemental reimbursement payments by completing a CMS approved cost report form annually. The supplemental reimbursement payment is based on claiming federal financial participation on CPEs that have already been incurred by the public provider. The supplemental reimbursement amount is determined by the methodology approved by CMS in SPA 09-024 .

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How To Contact Us

If your organization would like to participate in this program, or if you have any further questions, send inquiries to: GEMT@dhcs.ca.gov. 

Publications
  • GEMT Program Participation Notification Letter
    The purpose of this letter is to inform you that the Ground Emergency Medical Transportation Program has released its SFY 2017/18 Cost Report that is due no later than November 30, 2018.
Policy and Procedure Letters
  • PPL 14-001
    December 18, 2014 – Allowable reimbursement of GEMT contracted billing and accounting service costs.
  • PPL 14-002
    December 18, 2014 – Eligibility for public providers that contract for the provision of GEMT services with other public providers.
  • PPL 13-001
    September 30, 2013 – Eligibility for public providers that contract for the provision of GEMT services with private providers.
  • PPL 13-002
    November 21, 2013 – Aligning Provider’s financial fiscal year with the State fiscal year for cost reporting requirements.
Where To Submit Your Questions
Forms
Training Slides
Additional Resources & Links
  • CMS-PUB 15-1
    CMS Provider Reimbursement Manual - Part 1
  • OMB Circular A-87
    Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Cost Principles for State, Local, and Indian Tribal Governments.
Last modified date: 3/22/2023 9:51 AM