You do realize that CMS is doing anything and everything it can to pay LESS, not more. Despite how much they try to sell it as improving care, the only thing they really give a crap about is paying less.
If a service accepts Medicare, I'm sure there's a loophole where the president can order that payments not be made to services who don't pay their employees X or more.
I don't really have a problem with the pay. Its more than most jobs. And the job isn't really as physically hard as some minimum wage jobs I've had.
$13/hour is what I get paid as an emt-b. And amr is starting paramedics at 40k/year fresh out of paramedic school. And for okc. That's above average income.
Problem with a nationwide minimum wage is that companies will pay it: and in a lot of cities they will not be able to get many employees because it will not be a living wage: in other areas you will be 'rich'.
When I worked in Indianapolis I made approx. $15 an hour and owned a house and was able to pay my bills (and get a little more ahead each month). Here in NW Utah I get $20+ an hour and rent and get farther ahead each month.
Neither pay rate is enough if you live in most of California, or major cities.
So if the minimum wage is made $20 an hour and you work in NYC your are screwed
If you guys really want to raise the wages of EMT's just start colluding with each other to stop applying for jobs and/or pursuing it as a career. It's supply and demand, just reduce supply and you'll find that the "minimum wage" starts to go up magically...
As far as I can tell, there doesn't seem to be any slowdown in the supply of individuals willing to go into EMS or fire service.
There are 4 groups of emts and medics out there right now which is why we have so much "supply" out there.
1. The ones that will do the job at any cost and for whatever pay and will stay there forever with complaints or none.
2. The ones just doing it just until they get into nursing school, medical school or fire school,then leave.
3. The ones that have a profession related to medicine or not, have another source of income that gives them plenty and EMS is just a side gig.
4. The adventure seekers that aren't cutout for the job and quit once burnout.
So as long fresh blood comes into any of these 4 groups of EMS it will keep going the same way for a long time.
Two of the other petitions listed on the same page were to ban "Meet the Flockers" and declare India a terrorist state. Both have achieved their hoped for goal of 100k signatures.