Capito, Padilla Reintroduce PEAKS Act

WASHINGTON, D.C.– Today, U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) reintroduced thePreserving Emergency Access in Key Sites (PEAKS)Act.ThePEAKS Actwould 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 thePEAKS Actto 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 bipartisanPEAKS Actwould make commonsense updates to help Critical Access Hospitals in mountainous areas get Medicare reimbursements for the emergency care they provide.”
ThePreserving Emergency Access in Key Sites Actwould:
ThePreserving Emergency Access in Key Sitesis 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, clickhere.