Association of Counties presents legislative package to ‘Rescue EMS’
Many volunteer ambulance squads have shut down, while non-profits struggle
Press Release, New York State Association of Counties
ALBANY – In some areas of the state, ambulance wait times are getting longer and longer, and a lack of volunteers and funding shortfalls have thrown our Emergency Medical Services (EMS) systems into crisis.
In response, the New York State Association of Counties (NYSAC) and a coalition of state lawmakers and advocates have been working on a package of legislation to strengthen local EMS services.
Today, NYSAC was joined by county leaders, state legislators, and EMS professionals to discuss the proposals that will help support those efforts.
The legislative package, which NYSAC worked in close collaboration with state legislators and EMS providers to craft, is designed to provide local governments with the authority to create and fund countywide EMS services, provide financial incentives for EMS workers to enter and stay in the field, and update Medicaid reimbursement rates to reflect current needs and costs.
“All across the state, local EMS providers are in crisis due to rising costs and high demand for increasingly complex services,” said NYSAC President Daniel P. McCoy. “Counties are being asked to fill growing gaps in EMS services, but they lack the resources and authority to develop county-wide systems.”
The “Rescue EMS” package includes the following legislation:
- S.4020-B (Mayer) / A.3392-B (Otis) – This comprehensive legislative package allows special taxing districts to be created to fund EMS services. In addition, this legislation would recognize EMS as an essential service and provide reforms to the Emergency Medical Services Council.
- S.5000 (May) / A.4077 (Lupardo) – This legislation would remove EMS services from the real property tax cap, which would allow local municipalities to expand and better support their local EMS services. This measure is needed in the short-term while other solutions are being discussed.
- Authorization of Reimbursement for Treatment in Place and Transportation to Alternative Destinations (Hinchey / Kelles to introduce) – Effective immediately, NYS should establish a mechanism within the Medicaid Fee Schedule for Ground Ambulance Services to provide reimbursement to emergency medical service agencies for providing emergency medical care to Medicaid enrollees without transporting them from the location where medical care was administered to the beneficiary. Reimbursements shall be made when emergency medical care is provided to a Medicaid enrollee after a call, text, or other request for emergency medical care.
- S.6630 (Mannion) / A.6274 (Barrett) – This legislation allows volunteer firefighters and ambulance workers to claim both state income and local property tax credits.
- S.7286 (Martinez) / A.7524 (Thiele) – This legislation increases the volunteer firefighters’ and ambulance workers’ personal income tax credit from $200 to $800 for eligible individuals and from $400 to $1,600 for eligible married joint filers.
- A.231 of 2021 (Gottfried) – (MoA Hevesi to introduce) – This bill would create a methodology for ambulance reimbursement under Medicaid that more closely approximates the cost of providing the service. Ambulances are required by law to pick everyone up, including Medicaid patients. It is unfair to require these ambulance companies to accept Medicaid patients and then not fairly reimburse them for the costs of providing services to these patients.
Steve Kroll, NYS Volunteer Ambulance and Rescue Association said, “We are grateful to all the Legislators here today to improve emergency medical services in New York State. Long-term underfunding and a shortage of both volunteer and career EMS responders places communities at risk when ambulances are unavailable to respond when someone is seriously ill or injured. This package of bills will take a major step in the right direction to ensure the health and safety of our communities, said Steven Kroll of the NYS Volunteer Ambulance and Rescue Association, which serves the community not-for-profit and volunteer EMS sector.
Alanna Badgley, Co-Founder of the EMS Sustainability Alliance said, “As a unified voice for EMS professionals looking to ensure a sustainable future for EMS for both patients and providers, the EMS Sustainability Alliance fully supports the passage of the following package of bills: S.4020-B/A.3392-B; S.5000/A.4077; S.6630/A.6274; S.7286/ A.7524; and A.231 of 2021. We believe that each of these bills can effectively address a component of the EMS crisis and must be coupled with future legislation to create long-term sustainability for a functioning pre-hospital healthcare system. We are encouraged by the continued legislative energy of our leaders here in New York to build EMS as a viable career path for healthcare professionals within this field, not outside of it.”
Timothy P. Egan, Chair of United New York Ambulance Network and Executive Director of Rockland Paramedic Services said, “Ambulance service providers have been dealing with the same workforce shortage and budget issues as other sectors in healthcare. On top of that, the industry has been faced with years of inadequate funding, putting many operators in peril. Working with county and state lawmakers, we are hopeful the FY 2024-25 State Budget delivers EMS the critical resources needed to continue doing their jobs safely and effectively, delivering the best possible outcomes for patients across New York State.”
Senator Michelle Hinchey said, “EMS is the frontline of healthcare in rural and medically-underserved communities across New York State; however, we’ve seen firsthand how insufficient funding, along with workforce and geographic challenges, has pushed many providers to a breaking point. Two years ago, I sponsored legislation to create the Rural Ambulance Services Task Force, and I’m proud to champion a new bill based on its recommendations, which would create three new funding methods for EMS, covering Treatment-In-Place, Telemedicine, and Transport to Alternative Healthcare Settings, including mental health facilities. It is incumbent that we deliver real solutions to keep this lifesaving service available, and I thank all of our EMS professionals, NYSAC, and our coalition of partners in government for working with us to strengthen EMS in New York.”