Medicare program; coverage and payment of ambulance services; inflation update for CY 2004. Final rule with comment period

This final rule provides the sunset date for the interim bonus payment for rural ambulance mileage of 18 through 50 miles as required by the Medicare, Medicaid and State Child Health Insurance Program Benefits Improvement and Protection Act of 2000 (BIPA) and provides notice of the annual Ambulance Inflation Factor (AIF) for ambulance services for calendar year (CY) 2004. The statute requires that this inflation factor be applied in determining the fee schedule amounts and payment limits for ambulance services.