Health Affairs June 23, 2025
Barely one year after the eruption of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) launched an exciting initiative for Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries. The Emergency Triage, Treat, and Transport (ET3) Model afforded one of three outcomes for every patient encounter: ambulance transport to a covered destination (that is, a hospital emergency department), ambulance transport to an alternative destination (for example, urgent care), or treatment in place (emergency medical service [EMS] on scene with telehealth physician consult). The program—a voluntary, five-year payment model covering prehospital services beyond emergency stabilization and transportation—sought to answer a critical question: Is there a better way to deliver acute, unscheduled care to older adults in the community without defaulting to expensive, intensive...
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