Wisconsin Invests in EMS Education, Workforce, and On-Scene Care: AB198/SB182 and AB199/SB183

October 14, 2025

Posted By: Alan DeYoung in Advocacy, WEMSA Updates,

Today the Wisconsin Legislature took a decisive step to strengthen the Emergency Medical Services workforce and improve patient care statewide. With the Assembly and Senate passage of both Assembly Bill 198 / Senate Bill 182 and Assembly Bill 199 / Senate Bill 183, Wisconsin is positioned to significantly increase its efforts to support the future workforce of EMS professionals and promote on-scene care that helps improve patient outcomes and community response.

Assembly Bill 198 / Senate Bill 182 - Funding for Initial EMS Education

AB198 / SB182 establishes a tuition and materials reimbursement program that covers the tuition and materials costs for individuals or employers for all initial EMS education completed at a technical college in Wisconsin. This specifically includes Emergency Medical Responder (EMR), Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), Advanced Emergency Medical Technician (AEMT), and Paramedic programs in Wisconsin. After the student has successfully completed their program and received their state certification (EMR) or state license (EMT, AEMT, Paramedic), the individual or employer can apply for reimbursement.

This is a huge step forward for Emergency Medical Services, removing the financial barriers to entry into EMS and expanding the pipeline of professionals who want to advance their skills and knowledge. This bill also provides grants to technical colleges in Wisconsin to support and expand student enrollment access to EMS programs. Lastly, this bill includes grant funding for a Live 911 pilot program ($100,000 allocated) to enhance dispatch awareness and coordination by enabling real-time video and multimedia communications between public safety answering points and individuals who call for emergency services.

Assembly Bill 199 / Senate Bill 183 - Increased Treat No Transport Reimbursement, Scope of Practice Reporting, and Expenditure Restraint Program (ERP) Changes

AB 199 / SB 183 increases the Medicaid reimbursement for A0998, known as “ambulance response and treatment, no transport” from the current $69.00 to $175.00 effective January 1st, 2027. Emergency Medical Services receive the majority of their funding from transporting patients and little to no reimbursement when a patient is treated on-scene and not transported. This bill promotes a model focused on on-scene patient care and increases reimbursement for EMS agencies that treat patients on-scene without transporting.

Additionally, this bill requires the EMS Advisory Board, in consultation with DHS and the Technical College System Board to submit a report annually to the legislature on state and national changes to the scope of practice for emergency medical services. Lastly, this bill allows municipalities operating joint fire departments and joint EMS districts to exclude expenditures levied for these joint departments or districts from being considered in determining eligibility for an expenditure restraint incentive program (ERP) payment.

Why These Bills Matter

By eliminating the financial barriers to Emergency Medical Services education, more individuals can pursue an education in EMS without worrying about the financial burdens associated with helping their communities.
Wisconsin employers from manufacturing, agricultural, healthcare, education and more can support the future of EMS professionals in their communities, being reimbursed for their investment in Emergency Medical Services.
Municipalities and their communities can invest in their EMS agency without being penalized for eligibility for the expenditure restraint program (ERP).

Bipartisan Leadership and Thanks

We extend our sincere appreciation to Representative Tony Kurtz and Senator Howard Marklein for championing these reforms, and to the group of co-authors and co-sponsors who moved them forward.

What Happens Now

We are urging Governor Evers to sign these bills to solidify support for Emergency Medical Services in Wisconsin.

About These Bills

The Final Bills, Amendments, and Analyses can be found here:

Assembly Bill 198 / Senate Bill 182 EMS education reimbursement and Live 911 pilot.

Assembly Bill 199 / Senate Bill 183 Medical Assistance reimbursement for treatment without transport and annual scope-of-practice reporting.

Thank you again for the legislative leaders and sponsors who voted to move these bills forward. We will continue to provide information regarding these new programs and changes as they become available.

Respectfully,

A picture containing insectDescription automatically generated