PPACA): Congress passed it, the president signed it and the Supreme Court has upheld it. Now we need to learn how to live with it. My prediction is this: It will dramatically change the way we deliver healthcare and thereby will drastically change EMS. For some, it will present an opportunity to expand services. For […]
EMS systems have piloted programs for many years that use paramedics to address holes in the healthcare system. In recent years, and with the transformation of our healthcare system through reform, an increasing focus has been placed on programs using paramedic-based community health services. This is one of the most exciting developments in the industry […]
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs Mary Lou Leary announced several improvements to the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits (PSOB) Program following the completion of a comprehensive review of the program ordered by the Attorney General in May 2012. Enacted in 1976, the Public Safety Officers […]
In previous articles, we have discussed the concept of contracting with Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) and why it will be important. ACOs are focused mostly on working with pre- and post-acute providers to reduce costs and share savings. So why would these organizations even care about EMS agencies—and why should EMS agencies care about partnering with ACOs in their area? How exactly do and should EMS agencies go about ACO contracting? What are the steps to take to get started?
Healthcare as we know it is experiencing a transformation. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was a key trigger, but momentum in the industry was already causing changes. Although cable news fixates on a few attributes that keep the left and the right pundits in a frenzy, the folks on the frontline have known […]
Learn to thrive in healthcare reform’s chaotic environment The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) was signed March 23, 2010. It added a new word to our vocabulary: Obamacare. The re-election of President Barack Obama means that no matter what you call it (i.e., Obamacare, healthcare reform, the Affordable Care Act, the Federal Healthcare […]
What’s ahead for EMS? Welcome to 2013 and the start of a new era in the way EMS is compensated for its services. The election is behind us, and, like it or not, healthcare reform is here to stay. The ambitious aims of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) will continue to be […]
A first look at the issues facing EMS provider agencies There’s still much confusion on the subject of Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), especially with regard to aligning or “contracting.” This month’s article answers a couple of fundamental questions regarding ACO contracting. Watch for more insights in the coming months. Overview of ACO contracting ACO contracting […]
In 2006, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) issued a landmark report, “Emergency Medical Services: At the crossroads,” which identified systemic problems in EMS.1 Although strong federal funding in the 1970s fueled the initial development of EMS systems at the state and local levels, the withdrawal of comprehensive federal funding of the 1980s led to haphazard […]
If the “S” in EMS stands for service, then we all need to be reminded that service is built on relationships. It involves relationships between caregivers and patients, caregivers and medical directors, and administrators and coworkers. Relationships at the national level between EMS advocacy groups have been problematic in the past decade. Multiple federal agencies […]
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