Great Falls Republican House Rep. Ed Buttrey says ambulance providers across the state are in dire need of support.
“So this has resulted in a decline of emergency medical personnel, aging equipment and even closure of some providers in Montana, with more at risk,”he says.
Buttrey is carrying a bill in hopes of alleviating some of this financial strain.
“In our rural and frontier areas, underfunded ambulance services, they simply can't employ paramedics, which increases gaps in coverage and response times and puts lives at risk,” Buttrey says.
Here’s how it would work: Montana ambulance providers pay a percentage fee based on their budget, that fee would be put into a state special revenue fund that would be matched by federal dollars. It would finally be reimbursed to providers as a supplemental Medicaid payment.
Montana’s emergency service providers have faced an uphill battle for years. A 2021 special report by the Department of Health and Human Services outlined a crisis in ambulatory care due to staffing and volunteer shortages.
Rural communities are most at risk, as lack of providers in remote areas result in delays for care. One report identified Montana as an ambulance desert averaging fewer than three ambulances per 1000 sq. miles.
President of Montana Ambulance Association Don Whalen says passing this legislation is critical.
“This is a lifeline we desperately need, especially in our rural areas where EMS of the front line of health care. Without adequate funding, our ability to save lives and serve our communities is at risk.”
Legislators approved a similar bill during the 2023 Legislative Session that was later vetoed by Gov. Greg Gianforte. Buttrey’s bill recently passed the House Appropriations Committee in a vote of 19 to 4.
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