9.3.2 Levels of Service

Ambulance services for basic life support and advanced life support are benefits of the CSHCN Services Program. The following CMS and the Texas Health and Safety Code definitions apply for basic and advanced levels of service:

•	Basic life support (BLS) is emergency care that uses noninvasive medical acts, and if allowed by the licensing jurisdiction, may include the establishment of a peripheral intravenous (IV) line.

•	Advanced life support, level 1 (ALS 1) is emergency care that uses invasive medical acts that include an ALS assessment or at least one ALS intervention.

•	Advanced life support, level 2 (ALS 2) is emergency care that uses invasive medical acts including one of the following:

•	At least three separate administrations of one or more medications (excluding crystalloid fluids) by intravenous push/bolus or by continuous infusion

•	At least one of the ALS 2 procedures: manual defibrillation/cardioversion, endotracheal intubation, central venous line, cardiac pacing, chest decompression, surgical airway, or intraosseous line.