Aviation News & Press Releases
Thursday, September 24, 2009
NTSB Safety Recommendations A-09-104 through -107
Therefore, the National Transportation Safety Board recommends that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid:
Evaluate your existing helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) reimbursement rate structure to determine if reimbursement rates should differ according to the level of HEMS transport safety provided. (A-09-104)
If the findings from the evaluation conducted in response to Safety Recommendation A-09-104 reveal that higher levels of reimbursement are required to increase the level of safety, establish a new reimbursement rate structure that considers the level of helicopter emergency medical services transport safety that is required. (A-09-105)
Develop minimum safety accreditation standards for helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) operators that augment the operating standards of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 by including, for all flights with medical personnel on board, (a) scenario-based pilot training, (b) implementation of preflight risk evaluation programs, (c) formalized flight and dispatch procedures, (d) safety management systems, and (e) the installation of Federal Aviation Administration-approved terrain awareness warning systems, night vision imaging systems, flight data recording systems for monitoring, and autopilots if a second pilot is not used. (A-09-106)
Once the accreditation standard requested in Safety Recommendation A-09-106 is developed, establish a policy that provides Medicare reimbursement for helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) transportation only to those HEMS operators that meet those standards. (A-09-107)