From WisPolitics.com/WisBusiness.com …
— GOP lawmakers are circulating legislation that would boost reimbursement rates for certain emergency medical services in Wisconsin, as well as providing more funding for training and education.
Sen. Howard Marklein, R-Spring Green, and Rep. Tony Kurtz, R-Wonewoc, recently announced the bill package.
It would boost the Medicaid reimbursement rate for calls where responders provide treatment but don’t need to transport the patient, provide $7 million per year to the Wisconsin Technical College System for EMS training and create a regional EMS levy limit exemption, according to their release.
In a co-sponsorship memo on the reimbursement rate bill, the authors note ambulances that respond to a 911 call but don’t transport the patient to an emergency department get “little-to-no reimbursement” for supplies or care. Under the legislation, the rate for such calls would be increased to match the rate for services that include patient transport.
“This increase recognizes the important role that EMS plays in healthcare and the service they provide,” authors wrote.
Their bills would also reimburse emergency medical service volunteers for the cost of initial training once licensed, while requiring an annual report on changes to the EMS scope of practice nationally and in the state.
Marklein and Kurtz say recruiting and retaining first responders is a top challenge for local EMS departments.
“While there is not a one-size-fits-all approach to solving this issue, this legislation is another step in the right direction,” they said in a joint statement.
They plan to formally introduce the bills in the coming weeks. The co-sponsorship deadline for all the bills is noon on March 31.
See the release below.
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