By Lisa Meyer - Cornerstone Government Affairs 

Many changes have occurred in Washington over the last few months since the Democrats now control the House and Senate.  There are new chairmen of committees and new staff in many offices that Advocates and its member organizations are educating about emergency medical services (EMS) issues.   

Advocates for EMS members have been conducting meetings with House and Senate offices regarding its top priorities for fiscal year 2008.   

These priorities include, increased first responder funding for EMS within the Department of Homeland Security, funding for the National Emergency Medical Services Information System (NEMSIS) and a request to have the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) clarify in guidance that non-government ambulance services are eligible for reimbursement when there is a federally declared disaster.   

Currently, the Appropriations Committees in the House and Senate are holding oversight hearings on programs and funding levels.  The Appropriations Subcommittees will begin marking up bills that fund the varying federal agencies beginning in May.  The Chairman of the Appropriations Committee in the House of Representatives, David Obey (D-WI), would like to have all 12 appropriations bills through the House by the July 4 congressional recess. 

In addition, a top priority for Advocates for EMS has been establishing a Congressional EMS Caucus.  A congressional caucus is a number of members of congress who work together in support of an issue or set of issues.  Advocates members have been working to recruit co-chairs (a Democrat and a Republican) for the EMS Caucus.  AEMS is in the process of finalizing the co-chairs and we look forward to making an announcement soon. 

Advocates and its member organizations are excited about the prospect of an EMS Caucus as it gives those organizations an automatic base of members to approach when asking for support for issues such as first responder funding, Medicare and Medicaid issues, and funding for NEMSIS and EMS research. 

There are two pieces of legislation that Advocates for EMS and its member organizations have followed through the legislative process. They are the Stroke Treatment and Ongoing Prevention Act or STOP Stroke Act and the Trauma Care Systems Planning and Development Act program. 

The STOP Stroke Act would authorize a grant program to help states:

• Ensure that patients have access to quality stroke prevention, treatment and rehabilitation services.
• Promote a national public awareness campaign to educate the public about stroke warning signs and how stroke can be prevented.
• Promote the Coverdell Stroke Registry and Clearinghouse to collect data and share best practices.

• Educate medical professionals in newly developed diagnostic approaches, technologies and therapies.

The Trauma Care Systems Planning and Development Act program has provided $31.4 million since 1990 to help states and territories develop and implement statewide trauma care systems. This legislation provides for:

• Increased funding for states to develop and improve trauma systems, including targeted money to rural areas.

• Improved collection and analysis of trauma patient data to improve overall care for patients and provides for a self-evaluation mechanism to assist states in assessing and improving their trauma care systems.

Finally, the bill creates a separate competitive grant program for states that have already begun the process of establishing a trauma care system using national standards and protocols. The STOP Stroke Act and the Trauma Care Systems Planning and Development Act have passed the House and Senate and have been sent to the President for signature into law.

Advocates will continue to work to build support for its top priorities throughout the upcoming months as the legislative and appropriations process moves forward.  Please contact Lisa Meyer at Cornerstone Government Affairs at (202)448-9500 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it if you would like more information on any of Advocates for EMS’ activities or have questions on specific federal legislation affecting EMS providers.