Acadian Ambulance announced on Thursday that it is not receiving any of the federal funding and relief bills that were recently passed by the U.S. Congress in response to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).
The funding and relief bills passed by congress have provided assistance to public EMS agencies, but have failed to include privately-owned EMS services, says a spokesperson with Acadian in a release.
According to Acadian, the majority of privately-owned agencies are very small and simply can't afford to absorb the loss of revenue from things like canceled transports due to closed clinics and the stoppage of elective procedures; the increased cost of supplies including PPE and medications; and overtime that many privately-owned agencies are experiencing.
Without immediate action, the release states, many of these agencies will fail, leaving potentially millions of people without ambulance services, which would be an unprecedented healthcare crisis across the country.
Acadian Ambulance also cited a letter sent by the American Ambulance Association to Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Azar outlining some of the deficiencies and omissions in the current legislation.
That letter can be read below.
