At the Capitol - Moving EMS Forward (April 2025)

WEMSA Testifies in Support of Crucial EMS Legislation to Address Funding, Recruitment, and Sustainability

On April 23rd, I had the opportunity to testify at two important hearings in support of critical EMS legislation before both the Senate Committee on Health and the Assembly Committee on State Affairs. I was joined by Board Member Chanse Kaczmarski and several EMS chiefs and directors from across the state. Together, we represented and shared the immediate challenges departments are facing including staffing shortages, training barriers, and the need for sustainable funding.

Each of these bills offers real, tangible solutions to the issues our members talk about every day.

^{Alan DeYoung & Chanse Kaczmarski representing EMS at the Senate Committee on Health hearing on April 23rd, 2025.}

SB182 / AB198 – Investing in EMS Education

WEMSA registered in full support of SB182/AB198, a bill that addresses the costs of EMS training and aims to make the profession more accessible to future EMS providers. The bill creates a grant program for EMS education at technical colleges and provides tuition and materials reimbursement for emergency medical responders (EMRs) and emergency medical services practitioners (EMSPs). It also includes a “Live 911” pilot program that could enhance dispatch and response coordination.

This bill is particularly important for smaller and rural departments who often face the steepest hurdles in recruiting and training new responders. By eliminating financial barriers, we’re opening doors for people who want to serve but need support getting started. This bill also encourages more individuals to continue their education if they wish to pursue a higher clinical level of EMS but may not have the financial support to do so.

SB181 / AB197 – Regional EMS Levy Limit Exemption

Another bill we testified in support of, SB181/AB197, would create a levy limit exemption for regional EMS systems. In simple terms, it gives municipalities the flexibility they need to properly fund EMS services without being penalized under existing levy limits. The bill also excludes these expenditures levied for a regional EMS system from being considered in determining eligibility for an expenditure restraint incentive program (ERIP) payment.

A regional EMS system would be any EMS service that covers 8 or more municipalities or that covers 232 sq miles or more.

This bill could be a lifeline for departments trying to collaborate regionally, stretch limited budgets, or simply maintain the services their communities depend on. Many of our members don't just serve a single municipality, but typically several municipalities. We believe it’s a common-sense fix that acknowledges the unique demands of EMS.

SB183 / AB199 – Reimbursing Care When Patients Aren’t Transported

Finally, we voiced our support for SB183/AB199, which would increase the Medicaid reimbursement for EMS services when a patient isn’t transported but receives treatment (specifically A0998). EMS often provides critical care on-scene, whether it’s treating someone who ultimately refuses transport, managing a behavioral health crisis, or performing a lift assist. This bill recognizes the value of that work.

The current reimbursement for A0998 "Ambulance response and treatment, no transport" currently pays around $69.00 when an assessment is complete. However, this discourages patient assessments and documentation due to the low reimbursement that barely covers the fuel to arrive to the call. This would increase the reimbursement to the Medicaid maximum allowable rate of A0429 "ambulance service, basic life support, emergency transport (bls-emergency)." This would be a substantial increase in reimbursement and funding.

^{Alan DeYoung & Chanse Kaczmarski representing EMS at the Assembly Committee on State Affairs hearing on April 23rd, 2025.}

Why This Matters

These bills reflect issues that we at WEMSA hear about every week from our members. Testifying wasn’t just about policy, it was about telling the stories and re-surfacing the challenges of departments across Wisconsin. We’re grateful to the legislators who listened and asked thoughtful questions.

Our work doesn’t stop though. WEMSA will continue advocating for these bills to continue their movement through the legislature and ultimately, hopefully towards passing them this session. If you’d like to get involved or learn more about what’s next, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Let’s keep moving EMS forward, together.