May. 19, 2022
HARRISBURG – This week, the men and women who are there for us in our time of need are being recognized as part of National EMS Week. State Rep. Lynda Culver (R-Northumberland/Snyder) and some of her House colleagues will follow up next week by voting a key piece of legislation that would offer financial support for those same emergency responders.
“Every time an ambulance is dispatched, there is a cost involved,” Culver said. “Unfortunately, the rate of reimbursement has only been adjusted twice since the 1967 enactment of Pennsylvania’s Human Services Code and that needs to change in order to not only keep up with the times but also adequately support the services we have in place now.”
Culver is a cosponsor of
House Bill 2434, legislation authored by state Rep. Martin Causer (R-Cameron/McKean/Potter) that would increase the Medicaid reimbursement rates for services provided by ambulance companies and mandate that they keep pace with the increased cost of providing this service. She is also a member of the House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee, which will vote the bill on Wednesday, May 25.
“House Bill 2434 has two key provisions that also account for the distances to which our EMS providers go in their work,” Culver added. “It would require insurance companies and Medicaid to reimburse emergency medical services agencies for services provided even when transport to a hospital does not take place. It would also take into account time and distance traveled on calls which are dispatched in the most rural areas of Pennsylvania.”
Questions about this or any legislative issue may be directed to Culver’s Sunbury district office at 1-570-286-5885, or toll-free at 1-800-924-9060.