Ambulance squad praises new law changing how insurance money is paid

OGDENSBURG, New York (WWNY) - One north country ambulance squad says a new state law will make sure its services continue. It’s all because of a change in how insurance money is paid.

Governor Kathy Hochul recently signed the Direct Pay Bill into law. It’s a big win for organizations like the Ogdensburg Volunteer Rescue Squad.

For years, Chief Ken Gardner said insurance companies would give money to the person who was transported in an ambulance, but often that person would not use that money to pay the ambulance squad.

“In 2022, we lost $169,000 in money that people did not turn over. So, I have not done 2023 so I don’t know yet, but I guarantee it’s going to be up there also,” said Gardner.

Gardner says state lawmakers like Senator Mark Walczyk and Assemblyman Scott Gray were vital in getting the law passed.

Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush also supported the law and, in a statement, said, “Our dedicated EMS workers deserve to be paid directly for the services they provide. This bill makes sense!”

Once the bill goes into effect in 2025, Gardner says it will help rescue squads pay for new equipment.

“This will help us out. It’s not going to make us rich. By no means is it going to make us rich, but it’s going to enable us to be here for a long time, I believe, where people can relax as this rescue squad will not close,” he said.

St. Lawrence County Director of Emergency Services Matt Denner says while this is a step in the right direction, ambulance squads still don’t get enough back from Medicare and Medicaid.

“Medicare, Medicaid reimbursement really hurts because when they do a transport, the reimbursement they get does nowhere near cover what the cost is,” he said.

Insurance companies oppose the law and have argued it could allow ambulance squads to charge any price they want.

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