a fingernail has a hardness of 2; a copper penny, about 3; a knife blade, 5; window glass, 5.5; and a steel file, 6.5. Here are the Mohs scale ratings for 144 types of gemstones:
Background: In the last Ambulance Open Door Forum (April 15, 2009), CMS received questions about how to correctly inform beneficiaries of potential liability for ambulance services that Medicare may not cover.he Medicare law defines the ambulance service benefit as an â ambulance service where the use of other methods of transportation is contraindicated by the individual's condition .â That is, the patientâs medical condition is such that transportation by ambulance is a clinical medical necessity.
1 Non-emergency transportation will only be covered if the ambulance supplier obtains a physicianâs certification indicating that ambulance transportation is necessary because other means of transportation are medically contraindicated. 2  The transportation must be provided by a Medicare-certified provider. Other Important Points: Medicare does not cover wheelchair van transportation. Medicare usually does not pay for paramedic intercepts. Medicare will not pay for transportation from the patientâs home to the patientâs physician office. In a non-emergency situation, if the ambulance provider believes that the transport may be denied coverage by Medicare, the provider must issue an Advance Beneficiary Notice (ABN) to notify the benficiary of his/her potential financial responsibility for the transport.