Gov. Evers Signs Bipartisan Bills to Bolster EMS Professionals and Services Across Wisconsin

MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers today signed two bipartisan bills to bolster emergency medical services (EMS) in Wisconsin by reducing financial barriers for individuals seeking training, licensure, and a career in EMS and reducing the financial burden for local governments and EMS providers by increasing the Medicaid reimbursement rate for calls when a patient is not transported to a care facility.

“EMS professionals play an essential role in the safety and security of our families, our communities, and our state. I’m glad to be signing these bipartisan bills that will help get more folks into this critical profession by reducing financial burdens for the training and education they need, while making sure providers can continue to provide life-saving care by ensuring they are getting reimbursed fairly for the care they provide,” said Gov. Evers. “Nobody should ever call for help in an emergency and have to wonder whether help is going to come. We must continue to invest in and support Wisconsin’s EMS professionals and providers and ensure every community has the services they need to respond when Wisconsinites need them the most.”

Senate Bill 182, now 2025 Wisconsin Act 35:

• Requires the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) Board to award grants to each technical college that provides an EMS program that trains and prepares individuals for initial certification or licensure as an emergency medical responder or an EMS practitioner;
• Requires the WTCS Board to develop and provide district boards with a standard template for a contract for access expansion services;
• Requires the Higher Educational Aids Board to develop a reimbursement program for individuals or employers for tuition and materials relating to completing an EMS program at a Wisconsin technical college for initial certification or licensure as an emergency medical responder or an EMS practitioner; and
• Authorizes the Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs to develop a live 911 pilot program to distribute funding through a grant program to enable real-time video and multimedia communications between public safety professionals and those who call emergency services.

Senate Bill 183, now 2025 Wisconsin Act 36:

• Directs the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) to increase the current maximum reimbursement allowed under the Medicaid program for ambulance response and treatment without transport to $175;
• Requires the Emergency Medical Services Board, in consultation with DHS and the WTCS Board to annually submit a report to the Legislature on state and national changes to the scope of practice of certain EMS professionals and how those scope-of-practice changes may affect training in the state; and
• Reduces the financial burden for local governments by excluding levy limit adjustments related to joint fire and EMS districts from the eligibility calculation for the Expenditure Restraint Program.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.