Support California's First Responders by Signing the Petition Below Calling on Sacramento Legislators to Increase Ambulance Reimbursement Rates for the first time since 1999! Decades of below cost Medi-Cal reimbursement, combined with Medi-Cal expansion, is crippling our ability to recruit and retain qualified emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics.   Unfortunately, this issue has been building long before the pandemic started, and it now threatens to undermine the stability of California’s emergency and non-emergency ambulance transport infrastructure.

I am writing to urge you to support a Medi-Cal increase for ambulance transport companies. The last time ambulance providers received a Medi-Cal base increase was in 1999! This means that the current rates for Medi Cal patients do not cover the costs of an ambulance transport. This is not only unfair but threatens the stability of our California’s ambulance transportation system.

As a taxpayer, I expect our state to pay our hard-working first responders fairly. 23 years without an increase to this critical pool of first responders is embarrassing and dangerous. I hope to count on your support for our first responders and look forward to hearing how you will support this long overdue increase.

Support California's First Responders

California Ambulance Association

As your constituent, I ask that you support our first responders by increasing the Medi-Cal rate for ambulance transports. I am concerned to hear that our ambulance transport companies are experiencing recruitment issues and losing employees to other industries (even fast food restaurants) who are able to offer higher wages. This is unacceptable in the nation’s most economically prosperous state. 

Please step up on behalf of all Californians and pay our first responders fair rates.

Fund CA’s Ambulance First Responders

1999 Medi-Cal rates for Ambulances are Unacceptable

As your constituent I am asking you to invest in our emergency medical transportation services. I recently learned that Medi-Cal rates for ambulance transportation services have not increased since 1999. I can’t think of any rates that have been stagnant for more than two decades. 

Ambulance transportation companies provide critical services to our communities and we need to give them the tools so they can attract and retain a qualified workforce. 

Please increase Medi-Cal rates for the betterment of California patients. Increasing ambulance transport Medi-Cal rates means a direct investment in California’s patients like me, the EMS workforce, and will help ensure our system readiness for fires or other emergencies.

Invest in California’s EMS Workforce and Patients

Please place Medi-Cal ambulance transportation funding at the top of your legislative priority list. Ambulance transportation workers are first responders who serve our communities during medical emergencies. The pandemic's recurring waves place an imaginable burden on these frontline responders but they continued to show up, overworked and understaffed. Now, ambulance companies are asking for us to step up by increasing Medi-Cal rates so they can attract and train more frontline responders in their field.

We must invest in the health and safety of our communities. Please recognize our ambulance transportation workers by paying them fair rates.

Make Medi-Cal Ambulance Transportation Funding a Priority

I am concerned to hear that our ambulance transport companies are experiencing recruitment issues and losing employees to other industries (even fast food restaurants) who are able to offer higher wages. If they can’t recruit enough workers how can we expect them to respond quickly during an emergency?

Please support and encourage your colleagues to increase the current Medi-Cal reimbursement rates for ambulance transport services. In reality, paying ambulance transportation service companies more is not an increase when you consider they have been paid the same rate since 1999. This new rate would simply pay ambulance transportation companies a fair rate for their hard work.

Support California’s Ambulance Services

Please support and encourage your colleagues to support an increase to the current Medi-Cal reimbursement rate for ambulance transport services. Ambulance transport companies have not received an increase in Medi-Cal rates since 1999--decades of below cost Medi-Cal reimbursement, combined with Medi-Cal expansion, is crippling their ability to recruit and retain qualified emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics. 

Unfortunately, this issue has been building long before the pandemic started, and it now threatens to undermine the stability of California’s emergency and non-emergency ambulance transport infrastructure. As a Californian, I am concerned and want to see my representatives act. The time is now to support our first responders!

Ambulance Companies Need a Medi-Cal Increase

I am writing to share how troubled I was to learn that our state ranks 46th in the nation for Ambulance Medi-Cal Reimbursements. This is unacceptable when we consider that the cost of providing ambulance services in California is the highest in the nation. How can we only pay $111 per transport when neighboring states like Arizona reimburse $408 for a Medicaid patient?

For ambulance providers to operate efficiently and offer competitive wages and benefits, they need sustainable funding and reimbursement through the Medi-Cal program. Please make this a funding priority during the upcoming budget. An increased rate, while still below their cost of providing the services, would be high enough to ensure ambulance companies can offer sustainable living wages that attract new recruits, increase wages for current employees to improve retention and above all, help enhance the safety of all Californians.

California Ranks 46th in the Nation for Ambulance Medi-Cal Reimbursement

Please invest in California's most medically vulnerable patients by increasing the ambulance rate for Medi-Cal transportation. In less than a decade, Medi-Cal has doubled its enrollment from seven million people in 2014 to 14 million people today.  

The number of calls for ambulance services from Medi-Cal patients has shot up, but the staggeringly low reimbursement rate of $111 means that ambulance companies lose money on every Medi-Cal response. 

What's worse, ambulance companies are struggling to recruit and retain employees which in turn, exposes patients to longer wait times. 

Please invest in our first responders and in all Californians by paying ambulance companies what they deserve and earn. California owes our ambulance first responders fair rates.

Invest in California's Medically Vulnerable Patients

As you know, in less than a decade, Medi-Cal has doubled its enrollment from seven million people in 2014 to 14 million people today. As the number of people served has grown, the number of calls for ambulance services from Medi-Cal patients has also increased. What has not increased is the Medi-Cal reimbursement rate for ambulance transportation. This scenario is simply unsustainable and threatens the stability of California’s emergency and non-emergency ambulance transport infrastructure. 

I urge you to support an increase to the Medi-Cal base rate for ambulance transports, which is still below the cost of providing services, but high enough to ensure they can maintain California's ambulance transport infrastructure and offer sustainable living wages to attract new recruits and increase wages for current employees. This is a win-win situation for California's patients.

Ambulance Companies Need a Medi-Cal Rate Raise After 23 Years

I am writing to urge you to support a Medi-Cal increase for ambulance transport companies. The last time ambulance providers received a Medi-Cal base increase was in 1999! This means that the current rates for Medi Cal patients do not cover the costs of an ambulance transport. This is not only unfair but threatens the stability of our California’s ambulance transportation system.

As a taxpayer, I expect our state to pay our hard-working first responders fairly. 23 years without an increase to this critical pool of first responders is embarrassing and dangerous. I hope to count on your support for our first responders during EMS week and look forward to hearing how you will support this long overdue increase.

Support Increasing Medi-Cal Rates for EMS Week

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