Category: paramedics

California Debates Extending PTSD Coverage to More First Responders

A state Senate bill would extend workers’ compensation coverage of post-traumatic stress injuries for firefighters and police officers. But a separate bill to cover paramedics and EMTs is unlikely to be heard.

Community Paramedics Don’t Wait for an Emergency to Visit Rural Patients at Home

Community paramedicine is expanding nationwide, including in rural areas, as health care providers, insurers, and state governments recognize its potential to improve health and save money.

The Pandemic Exacerbates the ‘Paramedic Paradox’ in Rural America

Emergency medical services are a lifeline in regions with scarce medical care. But paramedics, trained to respond to patients with life-threatening injuries, are in short supply where they’re needed most.

Loopholes Limit New California Law To Guard Against Lofty Air Ambulance Bills

A new state law limits what consumers owe if they’re transported by an air ambulance that’s not part of their insurance network to the amount that they’d be charged if they used an in-network provider. But the law won’t protect millions of consumers whose health plans aren’t regulated by the state.

Emergency Medical Responders Confront Racial Bias

In a recent study of patients treated by emergency medical responders in Oregon, black patients were 40 percent less likely to get pain medicine than their white peers. Why?