Bill > S1513

This bill establishes a special task force within the Executive Office of Health and Human Services to comprehensively study the sustainability of emergency medical services (EMS) in Massachusetts. The task force will include representatives from various healthcare, emergency services, and professional associations, and is charged with conducting an in-depth analysis of EMS challenges and opportunities. Specifically, the task force will examine issues such as workforce development, training, compensation, retention, reimbursement rates, service organization, and the potential to designate EMS as an essential service. The task force's report will cover a wide range of topics, including methodologies for determining ambulance transport reimbursement rates, workforce recruitment strategies, the impact of minimum wage increases on EMS staffing, assessment of EMS entry protocols across urban, suburban, and rural settings, and recommendations for emerging healthcare transportation models like mobile integrated health. The task force must convene within 30 days of the act's effective date and submit a comprehensive report with recommendations to various legislative committees within six months, addressing potential statutory, regulatory, and budgetary barriers to implementing their proposed solutions.

Budget and Finance, Health and Social Services

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/S1513