EMS Taxes Hidden in Obamacare

While the nation holds its collective breath watching the showdown in the nation’s capitol, EMS insiders continue to pour over newly discovered taxes hidden in the mountain of paperwork, legalese and fine print that is known as The Affordable Care Act or more commonly Obamacare.  

Below are the three most concerning “taxes as discovered by our top analysts :

• Cardiac Monitoring Tax – Government health care inspectors will begin installing “black box” devices in cardiac monitors beginning early 2014. These devices will request a patient’s either healthcare ID number or defining identification such as a social security number before cardiac monitoring can begin. The device will collect the duration of patient monitoring, the number of complexes, whether a 12 lead was performed etc. and then wirelessly transmit the data to a government server where an associated tax will be determined and added to the bills of patients with private insurance. Those with the National Government issued insurance will find that this will be applied to an end of year tax that will affect your return, with some citizens having to pay in towards the IRS where in the past they may have collected a return. Bill: PPACA; Page: 1,972-1,988.
• Shortest Route Taken Tax – Health Care inspectors will begin installation of Automatic Vehicle Locators or AVLs on all emergency and non-emergency ambulances in mid- 2014. The AVLs will be used to track the unit as it transports the patient to the hospital or facility to facility etc.  ensuring that the shortest route to the destination was taken and that there are no padded “extra mileage.” Transports that are found to have more than the accepted government decided mileage will issue either the patient or the agency a “tax” per mile dependent on the findings. In addition ambulance Drivers will be required to “login” to their unit with a government issued key fob when driving as a means for the government to track the driver and create a “report card” based on their ability to drive the shortest route and save the government the most money. Agencies that employee too many “failing” drivers will find themselves on a government watch list, limiting them on the number of Medicare patients they will be allowed to bill. Bill: PPACA; Page: 2,002-2,004
• Emergency Medication Tax – Inspectors will begin installation of medication dispensary devices in late 2014, early 2015. Providers will be required to enter the patient’s healthcare ID number or defining identification such as social security number as well as the patients chief complaint before the machine will dispense the requested medication. The device will also interface with the “black box” recording device in the cardiac monitor, collecting data such as vital signs, cardiac rhythm etc. and transmit the collected data to a government server where it will be analyzed whether the patients required the requested medication. Patients will then be taxed accordingly. Bill: PPACA; Page 2,006-2,010