FIRST RESPONDERS FACE ‘CRIPPLING WORKFORCE SHORTAGE’

The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically worsened a nationwide staffing shortage for emergency medical technicians and paramedics, bringing longstanding issues — including low federal reimbursement rates and salary constraints — to a head in an industry already dealing with extremely high turnover.

The shortages have led to response time delays and longer waits offloading patients in hospitals.

According to a survey conducted by the American Ambulance Association, the turnover among paramedics and EMTs ranges from 20 to 30 percent annually, resulting in an unsustainable 100 percent turnover every four years.

Staffing has long been a problem, but COVID-19 made things worse, hitting the pipeline of new recruits hard. Training programs paused or shut down entirely, and the National Registry of EMTs stopped its certification testing.

Another issue: The pandemic has opened up opportunities for paramedics to work in other health environments because wages are better.

Entry-level paramedics and EMTs at some private companies are only making $14 to $15 an hour, which is considered high.

Companies can’t charge insurers more because so many patients are on Medicare and Medicaid, which are reimbursed at a fixed rate, so there’s a ceiling.  Agencies rely on payments from commercial insurance and patients to make up the difference.