10/21/2025
The shut down is affecting everyone.
Being there when Illinoisans need us most is what ambulance services do every day — but right now, that commitment is at risk.
CMS has ordered a halt on the processing and payment of all Medicare ambulance claims during the ongoing government shutdown. For Illinois providers, this decision has created an immediate funding crisis. With more than 60% of ambulance service revenue dependent on Medicare payments, this shutdown threatens to choke off the financial lifeline that keeps ambulances on the road.
Without cash flow, ambulance services — particularly those in rural and super-rural areas — face:
🚑 Delayed payroll and vendor payments
⛽ Limited ability to fuel and maintain ambulances
👩⚕️ Reduced staffing and shift coverage
📉 Interrupted service readiness and delayed response times
In past shutdowns, Medicare base payments continued even when add-on adjustments expired. This year, CMS has gone further by halting all payments — a move that jeopardizes essential EMS operations across Illinois and the nation.
We are urging Congress to act immediately to lift the payment hold and ensure that rural and super-rural add-on payments are reinstated retroactively when the government reopens. Lives depend on the ability of ambulance providers to operate today, not weeks from now.
Illinois EMS providers stand ready — but we need Washington to restore the flow of critical funding that keeps emergency care available in every community.
