Ambulance Inflation Factor (AIF)

20.4 - Ambulance Inflation Factor (AIF) (Rev. 13464; Issued: 11-14-25; Effective:01-01-26; Implementation: 01-05-26) Section 1834(l)(3)(B) of the Social Security Act (the Act) provides the basis for an update to the payment limits for ambulance services that is equal to the percentage increase in the consumer price index for all urban consumers (CPI-U) for the 12-month period ending with June of the previous year. Section 3401 of the Affordable Care Act amended Section 1834(l)(3) of the Act to apply a productivity adjustment to this update equal to the 10-year moving average of changes in economy-wide private nonfarm business multi- factor productivity beginning January 1, 2011. The resulting update percentage is referred to as the Ambulance Inflation Factor (AIF). These updated percentages are issued via Recurring Update Notifications. Part B coinsurance and deductible requirements apply to payments under the ambulance fee schedule. Following is a chart tracking the history of the AIF: CY AIF 2003 1.1 2004 2.1 2005 3.3 2006 2.5 2007 4.3 2008 2.7 2009 5.0 2010 0.0 2011 -0.1 2012 2.4 2013 0.8 2014 1.0 2015 1.5 2016 -0.4 2017 0.7 2018 1.1 2019 2.3 2020 0.9 2021 0.2 2022 5.1 2023 8.7 2024 2.6 2025 2.4 2026 2.0