Latest News On Paramedics

Latest KFF Health News Stories

California Debates Extending PTSD Coverage to More First Responders

KFF Health News Original

A state Senate bill would extend workers’ compensation coverage of post-traumatic stress injuries for firefighters and police officers. But a separate bill to cover paramedics and EMTs is unlikely to be heard.

The Pandemic Exacerbates the ‘Paramedic Paradox’ in Rural America

KFF Health News Original

Emergency medical services are a lifeline in regions with scarce medical care. But paramedics, trained to respond to patients with life-threatening injuries, are in short supply where they’re needed most.

Loopholes Limit New California Law To Guard Against Lofty Air Ambulance Bills

KFF Health News Original

A new state law limits what consumers owe if they’re transported by an air ambulance that’s not part of their insurance network to the amount that they’d be charged if they used an in-network provider. But the law won’t protect millions of consumers whose health plans aren’t regulated by the state.

Community Paramedics Work To Link Patients With Mental Health Care

KFF Health News Original

Training these first responders to identify people who are suffering from mental illness and connect them with treatment other than the emergency room could be part of the solution to gaps in the nation’s mental health system.

Better Training, Tourniquets And Techniques Since 9/11 Are Saving Lives

KFF Health News Original

U.S. trauma care experts are increasingly focusing on ways to help civilian victims of violence — whether the incidents were mass shootings or bad car accidents — avoid bleeding to death at the scene.

KHN Video: Filling In The Gaps

KFF Health News Original

This video features specially trained paramedic Ryan Ramsdell, who is part of an ambitious plan in Reno, Nevada, to overhaul the 911 system to improve patient care and cut costs.