Rural ambulance services across New York State are facing a growing crisis that threatens the health and safety of small communities. For decades, these services have relied heavily on volunteers, but that model is straining under modern realities. Fewer people are available to volunteer, while the demand for emergency medical services continues to rise due to aging populations, chronic health conditions, substance abuse, and mental health emergencies.
At the same time, rural agencies struggle with escalating operational costs and reimbursement rates from Medicaid and other insurers that fall well below the true expense of care. For many small towns, keeping ambulances on the road has become an unsustainable financial burden.
Recognizing these challenges, the New York State Legislature created the Rural Ambulance Services Task Force. The Task Force brings together representatives from state government, EMS professionals, and local stakeholders to study the state of rural emergency care.
To tell us more we welcome Mark Spiezio - Chief of Operations of The Cambridge Valley Rescue Squad and Michael Benanti - Assistant EMS Coordinator in Ulster County.
