Emergency Medical Services Appropriation (EMSA)

The Office of County Health Services (OCHS), administers CHIP and RHS, and is responsible for disbursing EMSA through the Hospital Services Account (HSA) and Physician Services Account (PSA).  Of the total funds available, $22,324,000 will be disbursed to CHIP counties and $2,479,000 to RHS counties.  RHS counties have the option of receiving the funds or asking the state to administer the funds through the EMSA Contract Back Program.

The Emergency Medical Services Appropriation (EMSA) allocates Proposition 99 funds to participating counties to reimburse providers for uncompensated emergency medical services for medically indigent individuals.  The EMSA allocation has been $24.8 million since the first allocation in Fiscal Year 2000-01.  Currently, the California Healthcare for Indigents Program (CHIP) counties receive and directly administer EMSA funds.  In addition, about one-third of the Rural Health Services (RHS) Program counties elect to receive and directly administer EMSA funds.  The other two-thirds contract back with the State to administer their funds.