A legislative package signed by Governor Kathy Hochul will require Medicaid reimbursements for ambulance services when treatment is administered in place and allow ground EMS workers to perform blood transfusions.

“My Administration is committed to addressing health care disparities in our State and ensuring all New Yorkers can access the care that they need and deserve,” Governor Hochul said. “This legislation ensures essential treatment and transportation, and allows New Yorkers to focus on their well-being during an emergency rather than worrying about the financial cost or availability of critical health care when they need it most.”

Legislation S.8486-C/A.9102-C requires Medicaid reimbursement for ambulance services when treatment in place is administered and/or when transportation is provided to alternative health care settings instead of a general hospital

Legislation S.6226-A/A.5789-A authorizes ground ambulance and advanced life support first response services to store and distribute blood and initiate and administer blood transfusions, mirroring authorizations provided to air ambulance services.

New York State EMS Council Chair Mike McEvoy said, “Reimbursement of ambulance services for care provided without a hospital transport or for transport to clinics, urgent care centers, or other non-hospital destinations, will improve accessibility to emergency care for New Yorkers while also significantly reducing costs. Before a patient with significant bleeding reaches a hospital, blood administration may be the difference between life and death. Governor Hochul is to be commended by the people of New York and our emergency medical services for signing these two pieces of legislation that will save lives.”

Uniformed EMTs, Paramedics & Inspectors-FDNY President Oren Barzilay said, “On behalf of our over 4000 members we applaud the Governor signing these two excellent EMS bills. These bills will help EMS providers stem financial losses from handling calls where members treat patients in the field or at home without having to transport to a hospital which may be many miles away in parts of New York. Giving us the ability to carry whole blood on many of our ambulances and do transfusions in the field has been proven to save lives when seconds count. This is a brilliant piece of legislation. We commend Governor Hochul for her foresight in approving these two important pieces of legislation.”