Draft - Trauma Care Assistance Revolving Fund

Title 63 Oklahoma Statute § 1-2530.9 (SB 290, 1999) authorizes reimbursement to trauma facilities, licensed ambulance service providers and physicians for uncompensated trauma care expenditures.

The Trauma Fund is a continuing fund that will be available from year-to-year to support the public health safety net required to provide appropriate emergency medical care to the severely injured patient. Current sources of revenue for the Trauma Fund included renewal and reinstatement fees for driver licenses; fines for second/subsequent convictions for driving without a license, convictions for driving under the influence, driving without a license, failure to maintain mandatory motor vehicle insurance, violating the open container law, speeding, drug-related convictions and the Tobacco Tax.

Based upon budget projections, collections from all Trauma Fund revenue sources are anticipated to reach between $14 million - $20 million annually. Ninety percent of the funds collected will be distributed among the eligible participants during each future distribution period, with thirty percent of each distribution earmarked specifically for physicians.

Eligible EMS, hospital and physician disbursement entities may be qualified for reimbursement from the Trauma Fund for cases meeting required major trauma clinical criteria, and must be uncompensated after reasonable collection efforts are exhausted.

Major trauma cases meeting the clinical case definition are identified through required data reporting by Hospital Trauma Registrars to the State Trauma Registry. Qualifying clinical case criteria includes those trauma cases reported to the Registry with ICD-9 codes of 800.0 to 959.9 and a defined severity of injury.

The fund is distributed on a pro-rata basis after costs are established and ineligible cases are subtracted. 

Mailing Address:
Oklahoma State Department of Health 
Emergency Medical Services (EMS) 
123 Robert S. Kerr Ave, Ste. 1702 
Oklahoma City, OK 73102-6406

Physical Address:
Oklahoma State Department of Health 
Emergency Medical Services (EMS) 
123 Robert S. Kerr Ave 
Oklahoma City, OK

Phone: (405) 426-8480
Fax: (405) 900-7560 or 4059007560@Xmedius.com (using email)
Email: Esystems@health.ok.gov