BHB/2/16
Sponsored by Mariah Gonzalez, Jasmine Perez of St. Agnes Academy
This legislation was filed in the Health category
Presented as part of the YIG Volunteer 2024 conference
| 1 | BE IT ENACTED BY THE TENNESSEE YMCA YOUTH LEGISLATURE: |
| 2 | Section 1) Terms used in this act shall be defined as follows: |
| 3 | a. Ambulance- a motor vehicle designed to carry sick or injured people. |
| 4 | b. Medical facilities- a place where sick or injured people are given care or treatment. |
| 5 | c. EMT - Emergency Medical Technicians : are the most common type of providers in EMS and are |
| 6 | sometimes referred to as EMT’S. |
| 7 | d. Paramedic- The Paramedic is an allied health professional whose primary focus is to provide |
| 8 | advanced emergency medical care for critical and emergent patients who access the emergency |
| 9 | medical system. This individual possesses the complex knowledge and skills necessary to provide |
| 10 | patient care and transportation. |
| 11 | |
| 12 | Section 2) This act will help individuals that are unable to pay for high ambulance prices |
| 13 | due to their low income. It will also be easier for individuals to pay other bills without paying an |
| 14 | expensive ambulance trip. The usual price of an ambulance ride is $450, but the price can exceed |
| 15 | $1000 in some states, According to a 2022 report on the high cost of ambulance service bills from |
| 16 | the U.S PIRG education fund. For people who don't have insurance, the price is up to 10,000. |
| 17 | |
| 18 | Section 3) Under this act, people without health benefits are aimed to pay a closer out-of-pocket |
| 19 | payment to what is usually paid if patients have health benefits. It's important for everyone to |
| 20 | have access to affordable healthcare services, including ambulance rides.. It can be tough for |
| 21 | people without health benefits or insurance to cover those costs. Making ambulance services more |
| 22 | affordable for everyone would help ensure that everyone can get the care they need in emergency |
| 23 | situations.Potential solutions to make healthcare more affordable is implementing policies that |
| 24 | promote price transparency, so people can compare costs and make informed decisions. Another |
| 25 | solution could involve expanding access to affordable healthcare insurance options or creating |
| 26 | government programs to assist those who can't afford insurance. Additionally promoting |
| 27 | preventive care and focusing on early intervention can help reduce healthcare costs in the long |
| 28 | run. |
| 29 | |
| 30 | Section 4) The paramedic and EMT could get paid by how far the hospital is to their home. This bill |
| 31 | would require support from lawmakers and stakeholders involved in healthcare policy. It would |
| 32 | involve drafting legislation in healthcare policy. This bill would need to go through the legislative |
| 33 | process. It's a complex process, but with the right advocacy and collaboration, positive changes |
| 34 | can be made to make ambulance services more affordable. |
| 35 | Section 5) This act will not require funding from the state budget. Our goal is to lower the costs of |
| 36 | the ambulance rides, but for people who can not afford the service, organizations could help with |
| 37 | financial aid. |
| 38 | Section 6) All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this act are hereby repealed. |
| 39 | Section 7) This act shall take effect January 1, 2025. |
| 40 |