In this episode of the EMS One-Stop podcast, Dr. Edward Racht and Matt Zavadsky join Rob Lawrence to discuss their recent attendance at the U.S. House Committee on Ways & Means hearing on 鈥�Access to Health Care in America: Ensuring Resilient Emergency Medical Care,鈥� which took place in an off-site hearing in Denton, Texas, on March 18, 2024.
Dr. Racht, chief medical officer of Global Medical Response; and Zavadsky, chief transformation officer for the Metropolitan Area EMS Authority (MedStar Mobile Healthcare) discuss the evidence and the key issues they conveyed to the committee.
Dr. Racht鈥檚 testimony included:
- The significant advancements made in emergency medicine over the past decades, leading to reduced mortality and disability rates for patients.
- The importance of updating Medicare reimbursement rates for ambulance services, which have not been revised for over 20 years.
- Advocating for wholesale reform of Medicare鈥檚 coverage of emergency medical services to align with contemporary practices, such as covering treatment in place and transportation to alternative healthcare sites.
- Matt Zavadsky鈥檚 testimony included:
- The impact of CMS payment policies on EMS, which incentivize unnecessary transportation of patients to the emergency room.
- Innovative programs initiated by EMS agencies to prevent unnecessary 911 calls and navigate patients to appropriate care settings.
- Legislative changes required to provide EMS with flexibility in patient navigation, including treatment in place and transport to alternate destinations.
- The challenges faced by ambulance services nationwide, especially in rural areas, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Top quotes from this episode
鈥淲e are the front of the frontline in medicine.鈥� 鈥� Dr. Ed Racht
鈥淥ur coordinated and integrated EMS and healthcare system now gives gravely injured patients ... the opportunity for rapid surgical intervention and a chance at full recovery.鈥� 鈥� Dr. Ed Racht
鈥淓mergency healthcare professionals pride ourselves on our ability to dramatically decrease morbidity and mortality from unexpected and sudden illness and injury.鈥� 鈥� Dr. Ed Racht
鈥淐MS payment policy is such that we are incentivized to transport every 911 patient to the ER because that is the only time we get paid.鈥� 鈥� Matt Zavadsky
鈥淎mbulance services are a vital component of our local and national healthcare and emergency response systems.鈥� 鈥� Matt Zavadsky
鈥淚nnovative EMS agencies ... have initiated patient-centric programs designed to prevent 911 calls and navigate patients to the most appropriate care setting.鈥� 鈥� Matt Zavadsky
鈥淎mbulance services across the nation, especially in rural areas, are facing unprecedented challenges.鈥� 鈥� Matt Zavadsky
Episode contents
0:05 鈥� Introduction
0:55 鈥� Guest introduction
1:40 鈥� Explaining the Ways and Means Committee
2:30 鈥� We are being noticed!
3:40 鈥� Preparing for a congressional hearing
5:40 鈥� The impact of having a congressional hearing in an EMS location
5:58 鈥� The genuine interest of the committee members
9:00 鈥� Dr. Ed Racht testimony to the Congressional Ways and Means Committee
14:24 鈥� Matt Zavadsky testimony to the Congressional Ways and Means Committee
20:52 鈥� Dr. Racht and Zavadsky鈥檚 reactions to the evidence they gave and the feedback
29:00 鈥� Zavadsky鈥檚 key points he wished to reinforce during his evidence session
31:45 鈥� Balanced billing, patient protections and removing the patient from the middle of the process
32:50 鈥� Independent Dispute Resolution (IDR) and its challenges.
38:29 鈥� Questions for Secretary Becerra on Capitol Hill
44:00 鈥� Final thoughts
45:00 鈥� A call to action to become one and present a united front 鈥淲hen we unify, we are unstoppable.鈥�
48:00 鈥� You the listener are the great politician
