KINGSTON – Saying the emergency medical services are in crisis, Ulster County officials are asking State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D, Yonkers) to approve three pieces of legislation that “will help ensure the sustainability and reliability of these critical health care services across New York State.”
In a letter signed by County Executive Jen Metzger and several county legislators, they urge the approval of bills that would designate EMS as an essential service like police and fire, that must be provided; that would remove EMS services from the real property tax cap; and would enable Medicaid reimbursement for treatment by EMTs and paramedics on site, as well as for transport to an urgent care clinic and mental health or rehabilitation facility.
The local officials told the senate leader that like many counties across the state, Ulster “is facing a dire situation when it comes to ensuring adequate ambulance availability for its residents.” They wrote that over the years, “there has been a severe decline in available ambulance units and alarmingly long response times, putting lives at risk.”
