EMS
Lawmakers take November interims to Wheeling; meetings to run from Sunday to Tuesday
November is here and so is another round of legislative interims. Lawmakers will be taking the three days of meetings on the road this week, congregating in Wheeling, where they are scheduled to discuss local issues and initiatives as well as state policies. These meetings are held regularly throughout the year when the Legislature is […]
WV leaders call on federal agency to implement treatment model to support EMS, hospitals
All four of West Virginia’s federally elected officials called on the national Centers for Medicare & Medicaid services this week to implement a new treatment model they believe will help support hospitals and first responders struggling with ongoing staff shortages. The treat-in-place model the legislators are proposing would allow emergency medical services to receive insurance […]
You might need an ambulance, but your state might not see it as ‘essential’
When someone with a medical emergency calls 911, they expect an ambulance to show up. But sometimes, there simply isn’t one available. Most states don’t declare emergency medical services (EMS) to be an “essential service,” meaning the state government isn’t required to provide or fund them. Now, though, a growing number of states are taking […]
Gov. Justice signs VFD funding bill, acknowledges need for permanent funding source
Despite already signing two of the three bills last week, Gov. Jim Justice held a bill signing ceremony Tuesday for several pieces of legislation that provide funding for West Virginia’s volunteer fire departments. Senate Bill 1021, a bill to create two new special revenue funds in the Department of Homeland Security for fire protection, was […]
Fire departments, EMS request Justice add funding measure to upcoming special session call
First responders from more than 200 agencies across West Virginia wrote a letter to Gov. Jim Justice on Tuesday asking him to include a bill to provide permanent, annual funding for them in the expected upcoming special session call. The letter, signed by numerous volunteer fire departments and EMS agencies, comes days before scheduled interim […]