The EMS community has been buzzing since the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) announced the Emergency Triage, Treat and Transport (ET3) Model. CMS has conducted a national press conference and three webinars explaining the model. Although many aspects of the program are still in development, the main tenets of the model have been well articulated and ambulance services will likely become eligible to apply by mid to late summer. Given the ambitious timeline communicated by CMS, it’s not too early to begin thinking about considerations if you are evaluating whether or not to apply for this voluntary Alternate Payment Model (APM).

We couldn’t be more pleased that CMMI has announced the ET3 project, as we believe this to be a patient-centered initiative that will undoubtedly improve patient care and create efficiencies for EMS and hospital systems.

On March 25, 2019, NAEMT, the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and the National Association of EMS Physicians (NAEMSP) conducted a webinar sponsored by ESO Solutions and FirstWatch, to begin educating agencies on what they should be considering now if they plan on applying for the ET3 APM.

The salient points of that webinar are outlined in part one of this two part article series. The next article will provide responses to the most frequently asked questions regarding the ET3 model. (To view a recording of the ET3 webinar, go to http://www.naemt.org/events/et3-webinar.)

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