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Legislation co-authored by State Representative Roger Skraba, R-Ely, that provides aid to licensed ambulance service providers, received its first committee hearing March 19 in the Health Finance and Policy Committee.
House File 3992 helps EMS providers that are struggling under the current fee-for-service model that has not been working for some time, leaving rural areas of the state with dwindling access to ambulances and other EMS options.
“This short-term funding would act as a bridge to address the real-time concerns with access,” said Skraba. “In addition to this emergency funding, I continue to work with my colleagues to find long-term solutions that address the root causes of the problem in hopes of providing structural support to make sure EMS services remain strong in the Northland and across rural Minnesota.”
The bill establishes an aid program for licensed ambulance service providers, administered by the commissioner of revenue and makes a onetime appropriation of $122.5 million for the program. It was passed out of the Health Finance and Policy Committee and referred to the Taxes Committee where it awaits further action.
