Emergency medical services providers are breathing a sigh of relief after Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a long-awaited bill into law they say will address one of their needs. It will allow those providers to be reimbursed for treating patients where they are or bringing them somewhere other than a hospital.
Advocates insisted it was critical that the governor take action on the bill before Sept. 30 because providers are on an annual plan, and having it signed before that date means that they will be able to reap the benefits of the legislation when it goes into effect on Oct. 1. Otherwise, they would have had to wait until this time next year.
Legislative Chair for the New York State Volunteer Ambulance and Rescue Association Steven Kroll says in a time of financial crisis, EMS organizations have only been reimbursed for medicaid patients if they brought them to a hospital.
“These new laws will give EMS clinicians more tools to take care of their communities,” he said. “We have to absorb the cost when we take care of someone in their homes.”
He explained that home care is appropriate for a variety of situations, like blood sugar issues in some cases.
“People who this happens to on a routine basis, we can get their blood sugar up, we can make sure they have meals,” he said.
Assemblymember Anna Kelles cosponsored the legislation.
“This bill being signed into law is so incredibly important,” she told Spectrum News 1 a few hours after the governor signed the bill into law.
In addition to allowing for treatment in place, the new law will also allow EMS organizations to transport patients to locations other than the hospital if appropriate. That includes an urgent care center or a substance use treatment center, reducing crowding and wait times at the emergency room.
“They can provide the service to the patient and get back on the road more effectively and quickly,” she said.
Kelles stressed that while it is a significant step in the right direction, varying types of EMS services, both for-profit and not-for-profit across vastly different geographical terrain, make the EMS crisis challenging to legislate.
The bill was part of a larger package called Rescue EMS, with other priorities still on the table heading into next year. Creating special taxing districts for EMS providers, and deeming EMS an essential service are among the half-dozen remaining bills. Tax credits and thruway permits also make the list. Kelles argues New York owes EMS providers their passage.
“We’re saying to them, ‘Do this amazing work that you do so well for us every single day, many of them being volunteer, and we will have your back and make sure you are sufficiently funded,’” she said.
When it comes to that broader Rescue EMS package, Kroll said he is prepared to come back to Albany in January and finish the job.
“Today is a day for gratitude but there is no question we’re going to be working on that going into the next legislative session,” he said.
Another bill signed by the governor Wednesday will allow Ambulance Services to Store and Distribute Blood and Initiate Blood Transfusions, and Kroll stressed that is also a significant development.