CATSKILL – Greene County lawmakers are urging the state Legislature to support a collection of bills to address a number of issues plaguing emergency medical service providers.
The Greene County Legislature’s Health Services Committee discussed passing a resolution at its meeting Wednesday urging state lawmakers to move a package of bills to strengthen emergency medical services across the state.
“I think that it needs to move forward and get approved because it’s vital for our EMS,” Sherry True, R-Cairo said. “It’s important that they get the things they absolutely need.”
Without a hospital in Greene County, the EMS providers are giving patients tools and resources the time to make it to a hospital for care, True said.
“Despite its vast importance, there is an ongoing EMS crisis in this state, particularly in how it is funded, staffed, and operated,” according to the resolution.
Much of the EMS crisis stems from the misconception that EMS workers are not essential workers, such as police or firefighters. This is reflected in state law and EMS providers are often undervalued and under-respected for their role in the community, according to the resolution.
The committee continued saying many residents don’t know if EMS workers will be available in their community during a time of need.
In January, at a press conference for the Rescue EMS package in Albany, New York State Association of Counties President Daniel McCoy said counties lack the resources needed to help EMS providers.
“All across the state, local EMS providers are in crisis due to rising costs and high demand for increasingly complex services,” McCoy said. “Counties are being asked to fill growing gaps in EMS services, but they lack the resources and authority to develop county-wide systems.
“We’ve heard our counties’ concerns loud and clear,” he continued. “Through close collaboration of our partners in the legislature and the industry, we’ve developed a package of reforms that provide counties with the flexibility they need to ensure that when one of our residents calls for help, they can count on faster, more reliable, lifesaving service.”
At Wednesday’s meeting, the county Health Services Committee passed the resolution through to the full board. Legislator Thomas Hobart, R-Coxsackie, brought the motion and True, seconded it. The remaining committee members, Jay Lucas, R-Catskill; Greg Davis, R-Greenville; and Ed Bloomer, R-Athens, voted in favor of the measure. Committee Chairperson Patty Handel, R-Durham, was absent from the meeting.
Approval by the full Legislature will urge the state lawmakers to support seven legislative measures during the 2024 legislative session to support EMS workers.
“The package will provide them the funds and tools for resources,” True said.
These legislative bills include:
- A comprehensive legislative package that allows special taxing districts to be created to fund EMS services. In addition, this particular legislation would recognize EMS as an essential service and provide reforms to the Emergency Medical Services Council.
- Removing EMS services from the real property tax cap, allowing local municipalities to expand and better support their local EMS services.
- Authorizing Medicaid reimbursement to emergency medical services (EMS) agencies for providing Treatment in Place (TIP) to a patient at the point of response; as well as Transportation to an Alternate Provider (TAP), getting a patient to the most appropriate health care setting other than a hospital, such as a mental health clinic, rehabilitation facility or urgent care. This, the resolution noted, is not legislation that will supplement any existing medical services provided by nurses or hospital staff.
- Allowing volunteer firefighters and ambulance workers to claim both state income and local property tax credits.
- Increasing 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. This legislation also allows volunteer firefighters and ambulance workers to claim both state income and local property tax credits.
- Creating a methodology for ambulance reimbursement under Medicaid that more closely approximates the cost of providing the service. The resolution notes that: “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.”
- Requiring the Thruway Authority to issue emergency services permits to EMS vehicles as is already done for fire vehicles, which would exempt EMS from being required to pay tolls while transporting patients on the NYS Thruway.
Sen. Michelle Hinchey, D-142, said these individuals need the support.
“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,” Hinchey said in January at the NYSAC press conference. “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.”
Assemblymember Didi Barrett, D-106, agreed with Hinchey.
“Fire Departments and EMS providers across the state are facing significant hardship, with recruitment challenges, aging membership and insufficient financial support,” Barrett said at the January NYSAC press conference. “In rural districts like mine, most of our heroic first responders are volunteers, who serve their communities with pride. NYSAC’s Rescue EMS campaign will provide direct support to our emergency services personnel, and I am proud that my legislation to allow volunteer firefighters and EMS workers to collect both the New York State Volunteer Firefighters’ and Ambulance Workers’ Income Tax Credit and a local property tax exemption is included in this legislative package.”
The Greene County Legislature will vote again on this resolution at its May 15, full legislature meeting at 6:30 p.m. at 411 Main St., Catskill.