06/08/2026
Help Protect EMS in Pennsylvania
Emergency Medical Services (EMS) agencies across Pennsylvania are facing a growing financial crisis that threatens their ability to provide lifesaving care to the communities they serve.
Every day, ambulance services respond to emergencies, provide critical medical treatment, and transport patients regardless of their ability to pay. Yet many EMS agencies are not receiving payment for the services they provide because some commercial insurance companies send reimbursement checks directly to patients rather than the ambulance service that delivered the care.
When those payments are not forwarded to the EMS provider, ambulance services are left to absorb the cost of care. This practice imposes a significant financial burden on EMS agencies already struggling with rising operational costs, workforce shortages, increasing call volumes, and inadequate reimbursement rates.
Since August 2022, Western Berks Ambulance Association has been unable to recover more than $940,000 in insurance payments that were issued directly to patients rather than to the EMS provider.
The impact of this practice is substantial and measurable. One patient alone received more than $22,261 in insurance reimbursement checks intended for ambulance services provided by Western Berks Ambulance Association, and the payments were never forwarded to the EMS agency. After Western Berks stopped billing the patient's insurance due to repeated failures to remit payments, the patient began requesting that claims be resubmitted to the insurer, demonstrating the financial incentive created when insurance payments are sent directly to patients rather than healthcare providers.
In another case, a patient retained 17 separate insurance reimbursement checks, each for approximately $470, rather than forwarding payment for ambulance services already provided.
These examples are not isolated incidents. They represent a systemic problem affecting EMS agencies throughout Pennsylvania. When insurance companies pay someone other than the healthcare provider who delivered the service, EMS agencies are forced to absorb substantial losses while continuing to answer every 911 call and provide care to anyone in need.
No healthcare provider should be required to absorb the cost of care simply because an insurance company chose to pay someone other than the organization that provided the service.
To address this issue, Pennsylvania lawmakers have introduced House Bill 1152 and Senate Bill 1342. These bills would require commercial insurance companies to reimburse EMS providers directly and establish a statewide reimbursement schedule for ambulance services.
This legislation would help ensure that EMS agencies receive payment for the care they provide while also protecting patients by eliminating the possibility of balance billing.
We are grateful to the legislators who have recognized the importance of strengthening EMS funding and preserving access to emergency medical care throughout Pennsylvania.
We Need Your Help
Please contact your Pennsylvania State Representative and State Senator and urge them to support House Bill 1152 and Senate Bill 1342.
Tell them that EMS is an essential component of Pennsylvania's healthcare and public safety infrastructure, and that ambulance services deserve fair, direct reimbursement for the care they provide.
Without sustainable funding, EMS agencies will continue to face mounting financial pressures that threaten their ability to maintain staffing, replace ambulances, invest in lifesaving equipment, and remain available when communities need them most.
Strong EMS systems save lives. Your voice can help protect the future of emergency medical services in Berks County and across Pennsylvania.
Take Action Today
Contact your State Representative and State Senator and ask them to support:
• House Bill 1152
• Senate Bill 1342
Together, we can ensure that ambulance services remain available, sustainable, and ready to respond whenever an emergency occurs.
