NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A7174
SPONSOR: Paulin (MS) TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the public health law, in relation to authorizing colla-
borative programs for community paramedicine services
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
To allow hospitals, emergency medical services (EMS), physicians, and
home care agencies, in joint partnership, to develop and implement a
collaborative program whereby at-risk individuals living in the communi-
ty can be-served by EMS for care other than the initial emergency
medical care and transportation to the hospital.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 of the bill amends Section 2805-x of the public health law to
include collaborative community paramedicine within the existing author-
ization for hospital - home care - physician collaboration programs.
Section 2 of the bill adds a new section 3001-a to the public health law
to allow emergency medical technicians and advanced emergency medical
technicians who are employed by an ambulance service or an advanced life
support first response service to provide community paramedicine
services pursuant to such models in circumstances other than the initial
emergency medical care and transportation of sick and injured-persons.
Section 3 provides for an immediate effective date
JUSTIFICATION:
Community paramedicine is the provision of health care by an emergency
medical technician (EMT) or advanced EMT in circumstances other than the
initial emergency medical care and transport of sick patients. This may
include, but is not limited to, coordinating patient care and transpor-
tation decisions with other providers; helping refer frequent EMS users
to appropriate services to break the cycle of relying on EMS calls;
using EMS care assessment skills to evaluate patients and activate
follow-up care; or improving health and safety conditions for vulnerable
patients by evaluating potential hazards in the patient's home.
This bill authorizes EMTs or advanced EMTs, acting as part of a collabo-
rative program with other health care providers, to offer community
paramedicine services within their existing scope of practice. These
activities will improve continuity of care between emergency response
and other healthcare providers, helping to avoid preventable hospitali-
zations and reduce some patients' over-reliance on emergency calls as
their first and only point of Contact with the health care system.
A report by the NYS Emergency Medical Services Council (SEMSCO) and
Emergency Medical Advisory Committee (SEMAC) laid out parameters for
authorization of community paramedicine. ("Achieving Mobile Integrated
Health Care Though the Use of Community Paramedicine," Community Param-
edicine Technical Advisory Group, August 2014.) The 2014 Department of
Health North Country Health Systems Redesign Commission also recommended
implementation of community paramedicine for home visits and preventive
care.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2015: A7503: passed Assembly
2016: A7503: referred to Health
2017: A2733: referred to Health; passed Senate
2018: A2733: referred to Health; Senate Health
2019: A1208: referred to Health; Senate Health
2020: A1208: referred to Health; Senate Health
2021: A151: referred to Health; Senate 3rd Reading
2022: A151: referred to Health; Senate 3rd Reading
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
Savings from emergency room, ambulance transport, and other health care
service avoidance through the use of community paramedicine.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately
