How to help local fire, ambulance agencies short on staff, money

Many ambulance companies and fire departments in New York are facing tough times without enough staff or money.

But they’re getting some support from local politicians who took two stands last week to help them out.

On Oct. 11, the Oneida County Board of Legislators unanimously passed a measure that expands an exemption of a portion of county property taxes — 10% of assessed value — for the homes of fire department and ambulance squad volunteers with at least two years of service.

A state law passed last year allows local governments to provide such discounts.

“In many parts of the county, it’s our volunteer firefighters and ambulance workers who we rely on for emergency responders,” said Oneida County Legislature Chairman Gerald Fiorini, R-Rome. “This is a great way to incentivize new volunteers and ensure a strong workforce.”

And on Oct. 12, Assemblywoman Marianne Buttenschon, D-Marcy, hosted a press conference with other local elected officials and first responders at the New York State Office Building in Utica, one of several held across the state, urging Gov. Kathy Hochul to sign a law to help ambulance companies collect more of the money they are owed.

It would require health plans to pay ambulance companies directly for their services instead of sending checks to patients when they use a provider that is not “participating” or “preferred” within their insurance network.

Patients are often confused and cash the checks without realizing that they’re supposed to then pay the money to the ambulance service, EMS providers said.

The governor has until the end of the year to sign the bill, which was passed unanimously by both houses of the state legislature.

“This legislation guarantees emergency medical services agencies are compensated for the essential service they are providing,” Buttenschon said in a statement. “Our ambulance service providers are there for us when we dial 911 and play a vital role in public health and safety across the Mohawk Valley.

“We must prioritize critical health care service providers and mandate that those that receive those services pay for them.”

In a statement of support for the direct-pay bill, the New York State Volunteer Ambulance and Rescue Association noted the financial hardships faced by many ambulance services.

“Most volunteer ambulance services in NYS, as well as our career ambulance service partners, are struggling to make ends meet,” the statement reads. “NYSVARA believes that fair and direct insurance reimbursement for EMS calls is paramount to financial stability and continued availability of ambulance services to serve our patients and communities.”

It isn’t practical for ambulance companies to become preferred providers with every insurance plan and health plans have, in the past, used direct payment as a means to force ambulance companies to accept rates discounted by as much as 30%, according to the association.

Many emergency medical services organizations have been struggling since the COVID-19 pandemic, when many lost money and faced many new safety expenses, the statement said.

More: Heastie, Buttenschon hope more state money will address local shortage of first responders

More: Oneida, Herkimer counties look into consolidating 911 services. What to know

The association also noted, in its legislative agenda for the year, that EMS staffing in the state is “in crisis,” creating a “threat to public health.”  There aren’t enough volunteer or paid emergency medical technicians and paramedics to meet the needs of communities in New York, it said.

The number of certified EMS personnel in the state fell from about 80,000 in 2019 to about 70,000 in 2021, about a 13% decrease, the association noted, citing New York State Department of Health data. And only about 30,000 of those were actually working in EMS in 2021, creating staff shortages and delaying care both at the scene of emergencies and in transports between health care facilities, according to the association.

Paul Taylor, president/CEO of AmCare Ambulance Service, noted the essential nature of emergency medical services and said the direct-pay bill will help agencies better cover the operational costs of providing ambulances and emergency care.

“Emergency medical services are unique,” he said in a statement. “We don’t provide care based upon insurance, or lack thereof. We provide emergent care to all people regardless of their ability to pay. All patients are treated the same.

“Too many times these payments are sent directly to the patient and, let’s be honest, with the economy the way it is and people struggling financially, these payments are usually spent for other necessities in life and the ambulance services suffer a financial loss.”

Oneida County had already given a property tax exemption of up to 10% of the assessed property value with a cap of $3,000 to volunteers with local fire departments and ambulance squads who have served for at least five years.

The new law gets rid of the cap and cuts the length of service to qualify down to two years.

Volunteers also get a lifelong exemption after 20 years of service. And surviving spouses who lose their husband or wife in the line of duty will now keep the exemption unless they remarry.

This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: Ambulance, fire squads back measures to get volunteers, direct pay