Representatives from Gold Cross, Mayo Clinic and 19 other Minnesota organizations involved in emergency healthcare, provided recommendations to Grams that were the basis for the bill, S. 091. In the last 25 years, there hasn t been any significant legislation to improve emergency medical services. It s especially appropriate to answer the industry s call for help this week, National Emergency Medical Services Week. Some insurance providers and Medicare don t pay for ambulance service if after the fact it is determined that the situation was not a medical emergency. The proposed legislation would require payment if a typical person with no medical training believes that the situation is a medical emergency.
Paramedics quickly arrive, assess the patient and determine that additional care is needed.
They monitor him during transport to the hospital. The next day, physicians determine that the patient was not having a heart attack. Some insurers won t cover the cost of that medical transportation. The proposed legislation would clarify that emergency medical services organizations are eligible to apply for these grants. It s not unusual for regulations from multiple federal agencies to conflict.