REGIONAL– When Sen. Grant Hauschild convened a roundtable in Soudan last month to discuss challenges faced by rural ambulance services, he said one of his top goals would be to work with the governor’s office to create a statewide task force to address the issue.
That task force is now a reality and two local lawmakers, Rep. Dave Lislegard (DFL – Aurora) and Sen. Grant Hauschild (DFL – Hermantown) have been appointed to serve on the Legislature’s new Joint Task Force on Emergency Medical Services. The panel will be charged with examining new ways the Legislature can strengthen the lifesaving services EMS personnel provide, including in rural areas where providers are facing a wide range of challenges.
“We never know when we may need to count on them, but when we do, paramedics, EMTs and first responders are ready to provide care to people at a moment’s notice,” said Rep. Lislegard. “As legislators, it’s our duty and responsibility to ensure these communities and local departments have the funding and personnel necessary to keep people safe and cared for. But right now, especially in greater Minnesota, many departments that provide this essential service are facing an uphill battle to remain in operation.”
Sen. Hauschild echoed that view. “I have been hearing from constituents through my Northland Strong initiative that EMS is a top concern in our rural communities on the Iron Range and in northern Minnesota,” Hauschild said. “Just two weeks ago, I held an EMS roundtable in Soudan where I listened to concerned residents who carried a sense of urgency around fixing this issue. I’m happy to be named to this task force to prioritize this issue statewide and bring solutions to the Legislature next session.”
At the roundtable in Soudan, Hauschild noted that one of the greatest challenges for rural ambulance services is the federal reimbursement rates paid by Medicare and Medicaid, which cover only about a third of the actual costs of serving those patients.
“I am not afraid to advocate at the federal level,” Hauschild said, “and have been working with Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith. But I am also looking at statewide solutions.”
“We will be working on a bill to fix the Medicare gap,” he said, “and we can look at options for taxing districts.” Hauschild said his goal would be to enact some new funding sources that would be simpler to oversee and he talked about options for creating tax districts for ambulance services, which could be either on a per capita or per parcel basis.
Hauschild said he plans to keep in contact with ambulance and city leaders on this issue.
Minnesota has more than 250 licensed ground ambulance services, which in 2021 responded to approximately 540,000 emergency calls to 911. A February 2022 report by the Office of the Legislative Auditor outlined a variety of concerns about the overall viability of EMS providers and the persistent funding and staffing challenges they’ve faced in recent years, particularly in greater Minnesota. The report also noted concerns related to the Emergency Medical Services Regulatory Board’s oversight capabilities and authority to set certain standards.
The new task force will convene its first meeting later this fall.