During EMS Week, local services are voicing their concerns over being able to provide continuing services
STURGIS, S.D. – National “E-M-S” Week (May 18-24) is underway, and South Dakota ambulance providers serving smaller towns and cities say they’re barely getting by with aging crews and whatever funding they can cobble together.
A legislative committee will soon study these issues. This summer, the interim panel will look at staffing woes for emergency medical services across the state. It’ll also dive into access barriers to trauma response in remote areas.
Brian Hambek of the South Dakota Ambulance Association says these problems have been examined before, but the challenges aren’t going away. For example, his crew in Spearfish has two 82-year-olds helping out.
Hambek says reimbursement rates from private insurers, as well as Medicaid and Medicare, aren’t high enough for ambulance providers to keep up with operational costs. States can set their own rates, but there’s a bipartisan bill in Congress to help rural areas. However, it’s unclear if it’ll gain momentum. In the meantime, Hambek hopes the South Dakota committee identifies lasting solutions.
Hambek credits the state for enhancing E-M-S support in recent sessions. But a bill this year that would have classified these services as “essential” failed in the legislature. Unlike police and fire, Hambek says an ambulance provider no longer able to stay in business could shut down with little warning.
There was disagreement over the proposed funding mechanism to ensure all South Dakota communities had access to E-M-S. Ambulance providers from larger cities say they sometimes have to assist with calls from surrounding towns where there are coverage gaps, leading to longer response times.
