Photo / Ely Area Ambulance
MINNESOTA (KFGO) – Democrats want the Minnesota Legislature to make EMS classified as essential services like fire and police departments so they get the funding they need.
State Senators Rob Kupec of Moorhead and Grant Hauschild of Hermantown went to Barnesville which has a rural ambulance service.
As part of the One Big Beautiful Act Congress passed, able-bodied adults without dependents won’t be eligible for Medicaid starting next year.
Kupec is concerned less Medicaid funding will squeeze rural services even more.
“When the ambulance goes out, there’s no way the compensation even makes up for the run. Barnesville is coming up $300,000 a year short on their ambulance and that’s fallen back on the citizens of Barnesville property taxes to make up the difference in that,” Kupec said
Kupec and Hauschild went to Washington, D.C. to get support from members of Congress to increase Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement rates for rural EMS.
“These rural services are volunteer-led and owned by the local towns or cities in those regions because they’re not as profitable as the more urban or suburban services,” Hauschild said.
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