Rescuing the Rescuers. Oklahoma EMS

[emsmedic39]

Wednesday, April 9, 2008; Posted: 7.09 pm (CDT)

Officials say only 21 counties in Oklahoma have paramedic level service and that more than 40 ambulance services have been lost over the past few years.

”The EMS system is on the verge of collapse,” says Lawton EMT Rodney Johnson.

Johnson is hoping with a little help from the legislature and the public, it won’t happen.

“This is not the answer to the EMS crisis,” says Johnson. “This is part of the answer. For some communities this is going to be able to save their ambulance service.”

House Joint Resolution 1014 is just the first step. It would put a constitutional amendment before the people to decide whether to eliminate a maximum funding cap for EMS, but many in the legislature believe this is not the right step to take.

“I think it's a dangerous path that we go down when you eliminate the cap,” says Rep. Richard Morrissette, D-Oklahoma City, who voted against the bill. “That means property taxes … there will be a significant tax increase for the local communities.”

Morrissette believes the responsibility should fall on the legislature to fund the services and not the individual counties, but one lawmaker behind the amendment disagrees.

“I still believe in the democratic process and allowing people to choose, so I think it's a good bill to allow the vote of the people to decide themselves rather than have it forced upon them,” says the author of HJR 1014 Rep. Doug Cox, R-Grove.

Morrissette says it’s typical Republican tax policy by having the people increase their own taxes.

“My friends on the other side of the aisle that are running the House of Representatives are always talking about less and less taxes, yet they speak with forked tongue,” says Morrissette. “They go one end with less taxes and yet come around the back door and increase fees and assessments and all that which are essentially tax increases. What they're not doing through the front door they're trying to do through the back door.”

“I think every community wants it, it's just how they want to pay for it,” says Cox.

Johnson cares less about how it gets done and more about getting the funds to do his job.

The bill has already passed out of the House floor and Senate committee. Its next stop is the Senate floor.

http://www.ksbitv.com/news/17444439.html

[spenac]

Welcome to the club. But the good news is at least they are discussing the problem instead of ignoring it like here in Texas.

[Scaramedic]

The problem in Oklahoma was many counties/cities were covered my mom & pop operations that ran on very tight budgets. With the decreased funding from Medicare and Medicaid via capitation they could not hold the companies together.

[Ridryder 911]

Myself, Rodney, Leaugeay and several others have been working hard on these bills and some other legislature. We were able to develop and start an EMS Coalition, something that is not easy to do. To be able to get EMS, Fire, Air Services all to agree upon certain things is a miracle. As well as dealing with the old "politics" of things going on.

Actually Scaramedic there are few "mom & pop" services anymore. That is part of the problem, AMR and some of the private industries have invested here as well as some other chain services that cannot make it and then leave. As well, alike EMSA and many others that depend upon supplemental support such as cities and government funding.

Oklahoma started many years ago one of the first supplemental tax ad valorem strictly dedicated to EMS. 522 is a tax citizens can vote in for EMS funding. This bill uncapped the amount of funding, so more money can be funneled into to supplement EMS companies.

Yes, we have drastic problems, at least the Governor and some legislature have recognized this and is a hot topic within the state.

I also would like to announce that we now have a life insurance through our EMS license. It will not be enough to plant in you in the ground if something would happen to you. Albeit it is not the best bill but at least a start and the legislative did demonstrate interest in EMS workers and something we can add upon.

...This afternoon, Governor Henry signed HB2693, by Rep. Paul D. Roan, D-Tishomingo and Sen. Susan Paddack, D-Ada. The bill directs the Department of Health in the event of the death of an emergency medical technician while in the line of duty to pay his/her designated beneficiary $5,000. The bill creates the Emergency Medical Technician Death Benefit Revolving Fund. It establishes a $10 fee for new and renewal applications for emergency medical technicians and directs revenue to the revolving fund. "...There are some more EMS bills that have been tabled for the season, but we will be fighting for them at a later date, I also would like to introduce a few others....

R/r 911

[akflightmedic]

I could see them denying a pay out because the law says EMT, and you are a paramedic.

It is all about the wording....

[Ridryder 911]

I could see them denying a pay out because the law says EMT, and you are a paramedic.

It is all about the wording....

Actually, all levels of license for EMT's are considered: EMT-________For example EMT/Intermediate, EMT/Paramedic; so Paramedics are considered EMT's. You are right some of us have thought of that as well. The Dept of Health will be responsible party for managing funds. I hope to raise the benefits per tripling in a few years when the funds increase, so it is more worthwhile if needed .

[spenac]

Rid I hope more states follow the example of your state. Wow never thought I would ever say something like that about Oklahoma.

[Arkymedic]

Myself, Rodney, Leaugeay and several others have been working hard on these bills and some other legislature. We were able to develop and start an EMS Coalition, something that is not easy to do. To be able to get EMS, Fire, Air Services all to agree upon certain things is a miracle. As well as dealing with the old "politics" of things going on.

Actually Scaramedic there are few "mom & pop" services anymore. That is part of the problem, AMR and some of the private industries have invested here as well as some other chain services that cannot make it and then leave. As well, alike EMSA and many others that depend upon supplemental support such as cities and government funding.

Oklahoma started many years ago one of the first supplemental tax ad valorem strictly dedicated to EMS. 522 is a tax citizens can vote in for EMS funding. This bill uncapped the amount of funding, so more money can be funneled into to supplement EMS companies.

Yes, we have drastic problems, at least the Governor and some legislature have recognized this and is a hot topic within the state.

I also would like to announce that we now have a life insurance through our EMS license. It will not be enough to plant in you in the ground if something would happen to you. Albeit it is not the best bill but at least a start and the legislative did demonstrate interest in EMS workers and something we can add upon.

...This afternoon, Governor Henry signed HB2693, by Rep. Paul D. Roan, D-Tishomingo and Sen. Susan Paddack, D-Ada. The bill directs the Department of Health in the event of the death of an emergency medical technician while in the line of duty to pay his/her designated beneficiary $5,000. The bill creates the Emergency Medical Technician Death Benefit Revolving Fund. It establishes a $10 fee for new and renewal applications for emergency medical technicians and directs revenue to the revolving fund. "...There are some more EMS bills that have been tabled for the season, but we will be fighting for them at a later date, I also would like to introduce a few others....

R/r 911

Rid I just wanted to tell you, Rodney, and Leaugeay thank you for all you are doing for Oklahoma EMS. I know I live in AR and only work over here but it really is great that someone is addressing the problem. We are an ILS service with mainly paramedic coverage and individual protocols. I think part of the problem is nobody wants to work for 20-30,000 a year after going to school anymore. I know that accompanied with the 16/24 and the fact that we are salaried with one monthly payday instead of monthly and two are major probs here right now. We have a couple of slots open and we cannot find anyone to fill them. We placed an ad and only two people showed.

[rat115]

Rid.....A big thumbs up to you guys who've been working on this. I hope that other states follow suit.

[emsmedic39]

Also this week, the Senate approved a measure focused on saving rural emergency medical service (EMS) operations from extinction.

Potential help for EMS operators and the communities they serve could come from HJR 1014, by Rep. Doug Cox, R-Grove, and Sen. Charles Wyrick, D-Fairland. The resolution, which passed 32 to 16, proposes a constitutional amendment that would remove the current tax maximum for emergency medical service districts and would remove the requirement that emergency medical districts follow school district boundary lines.

In Oklahoma, there are currently more than 25 of 522 ambulance service districts without dedicated service providers. Issues related to Medicare reimbursement, districting and a 3 mill tax levy cap are partly to blame, said Rodney Johnson, an EMT who advocates on behalf of the industry.

Johnson said some ambulance services are unable to sustain profits, forcing closures, which are then covered by the closest neighboring provider. The neighboring providers are required by law to cover districts without dedicated service. The problem then worsens when limited resources from neighboring districts have to be shared over an even larger area, resulting in even higher operation costs and longer response times - sometimes as long as 30 minutes. This creates somewhat of snowball effect, Johnson said.

Wyrick said the problem is particularly acute in rural areas with large school districts, such as those in his district.

"This is a tool by which we are trying to deal with crisis," Wyrick said. "In my district, there are areas with no emergency service, areas where it is underfunded."

In effect, HJR 1014 would make it possible for counties and municipalities to further subsidize failing services, he said in an interview after Monday's session.