Ambulance companies are warning they face a major worker shortage that could slow emergency response times across the country if nothing is done to help them.
Industry groups are lobbying Congress to fund training programs for emergency response personnel, and to boost Medicare pay for ambulance workers. They’re hoping these changes can accompany any broader efforts in Congress to address workforce shortages facing the health care industry.
The groups say the problem is widespread: nearly everywhere in the country, emergency response crews are struggling to fully staff ambulances.
“I don’t know of a service out there right now that isn’t ...