​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Ground Emergency Medical Transport Quality Assurance Fee

• ​The total number of emergency medical transports, as defined in statute, by payer type, including Medi-Cal FFS and Medi-Cal managed care, Medicare, dual Medicare/Medi-Cal (Medi-Medi), and all other payer types, for each calendar year quarter. ​
• Quarterly transport data must be submitted through the online portal below on or before the 45th day after the last day of the applicable quarter.
• The gross receipts, as defined in statute, received from the provision of emergency medical transports for each Fiscal Year (FY).
• ​Gross receipts data must be submitted through the specific FY form found below on or before the 45th day after the last day of the applicable state fiscal year. ​
  

FY 2025-26

GEMT QAF Rate for FY 2025-26, effective July 1, 2025

A GEMT QAF Rate was calculated for Fiscal Year (FY) 2025-26, in accordance with SB 523. The QAF is assessed on each qualified emergency medical transport, regardless of payer type. The QAF was adjusted based on the transport data submitted for calendar year 2024 for emergency transport codes A0429, A0427, A0433, A0225, and A0434. The QAF rate in effect for FY 2025-26 will be assessed on ground emergency medical transports with dates of service beginning January 1, 2025, through December 31, 2025. DHCS intends to submit the GEMT QAF SPA 25-0003 to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for federal approval in the third quarter of 2025.

•          The QAF Rate for FY 2025-26 is: $36.74​

​​​​​Gross Receipt Data Submission 

On or before August 14, 2025, providers are required to submit data on gross receipts received for ground emergency medical transports between July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025. The Gross Receipt Data Submission Form must be submitted to GEMTQAF@dhcs.ca.gov by August 14, 2025. Providers are to use the Gross Receipt Data Submission Form provided below:​

Gross Receipt Data Submission F​orm​​​
FY 202​4-25

​​GEMT QAF SPA Approval and Payment Schedule FY 2024-25: 

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) approved SPA 24-0025 to continue the GEMT QAF Program for FY 2024-25. Below is the QAF payment schedule DHCS established for collecting the quarterly QAF assessments, beginning with the July 1, 2024, state fiscal quarter.

​

PP-GEMT IGT Program​​

​In accordance with Assembly Bill (AB) 1705 (Chapter 544, Statutes of 2019), the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) establishes the Public Provider Ground Emergency Medical Transportation (PP-GEMT) Intergovernmental Transfer (IGT) Program for eligible public GEMT providers.

Providers are eligible to participate in the PP-GEMT IGT program if they meet all of the following criteria:

• provide GEMT services to Medi-Cal beneficiaries
  
• are enrolled as a Medi-Cal provider for the period being claimed, and
  
• are owned or operated by the state, a city, county, city and county, fire protection, special districts, community services districts, health care district, or a federally recognized Indian tribe.
  

The PP-GEMT IGT Program provides an add-on increase to the associated Medi-Cal fee-for-service fee schedule of emergency medical transports billed with the following codes: A0429, A0427, A0433, A0225, and A0434, for eligible providers. 

​Online Portal for GE​MT QAF Payments

An online GEMT QAF portal was established for providers to submit transport data and to calculate the quarterly QAF amount due. An invoice for the QAF amount due for each provider will be generated based upon the transport data submitted by providers, and will include a direct link to pay the QAF through electronic fund transfer (EFT). Providers also have the option to print an invoice and to submit their QAF payment by mail.​