First off, if you're running in Pennsylvania with the Advanced EMT level, I'd love to hear more about it (the business model, dispatch, reimbursement, etc).
I run as an EMT-B for a service in a county that has both a lack of paramedics and a large coverage area. Actually, as many EMS agencies around our rural area are volunteer, many times they are unable to crew up and our coverage area becomes even larger. Paramedics get dispatched to assist with a particular call 15-30 miles away in the middle of nowhere, and then we don't have coverage locally. So the company is currently looking at the possibility of investing into the Advanced EMT options, paying for EMT-B's schooling for it, etc. Any assistance is appreciated.
First a couple of facts:
1) There is no current 911 dispatch for the AEMT (only for BLS and one for ALS)
- the current thought is that an Advanced level could go on some of the calls dispatched as BLS that are more routine and have the capability to upgrade if needed if certain "ALS" skills are needed such as initiating IV fluids, etc. This would be particularly important with a 20-30 minute ETA to scene time.
2) Insurance reimbursement for the intermediate level
- As this level is relatively new in the state of PA, I'm currently under the impression that we'd have to call each individual insurance company to find information on rates.
If anyone has experience with the reimbursement aspect of the AEMT in your area if anything, I'd like to hear it.
Here is the current scope of practice for the AEMT in PA
http://pehsc.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/EMS-Provider-Scope-of-Practice-08-28-15.pdf
Basically they can perform venipuncture, initiate IV fluids, initiate certain common medications (not just "assist" with the patient's), obtain and transmit (not "interpret" a 12 lead), insert advanced airway / Supraglottic airways, ETCO2, as well as assist the paramedic with a number of skills such as IO placement and insertion.
As this is a grass-level kind of thing initiated by the EMTs that work at the agency, we will be presenting this to the board.
Any assistance in learning more about it is appreciated.
I run as an EMT-B for a service in a county that has both a lack of paramedics and a large coverage area. Actually, as many EMS agencies around our rural area are volunteer, many times they are unable to crew up and our coverage area becomes even larger. Paramedics get dispatched to assist with a particular call 15-30 miles away in the middle of nowhere, and then we don't have coverage locally. So the company is currently looking at the possibility of investing into the Advanced EMT options, paying for EMT-B's schooling for it, etc. Any assistance is appreciated.
First a couple of facts:
1) There is no current 911 dispatch for the AEMT (only for BLS and one for ALS)
- the current thought is that an Advanced level could go on some of the calls dispatched as BLS that are more routine and have the capability to upgrade if needed if certain "ALS" skills are needed such as initiating IV fluids, etc. This would be particularly important with a 20-30 minute ETA to scene time.
2) Insurance reimbursement for the intermediate level
- As this level is relatively new in the state of PA, I'm currently under the impression that we'd have to call each individual insurance company to find information on rates.
If anyone has experience with the reimbursement aspect of the AEMT in your area if anything, I'd like to hear it.
Here is the current scope of practice for the AEMT in PA
http://pehsc.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/EMS-Provider-Scope-of-Practice-08-28-15.pdf
Basically they can perform venipuncture, initiate IV fluids, initiate certain common medications (not just "assist" with the patient's), obtain and transmit (not "interpret" a 12 lead), insert advanced airway / Supraglottic airways, ETCO2, as well as assist the paramedic with a number of skills such as IO placement and insertion.
As this is a grass-level kind of thing initiated by the EMTs that work at the agency, we will be presenting this to the board.
Any assistance in learning more about it is appreciated.
