Bipartisan bill would update Medicare’s 1990s-era ambulance payment formula to reflect the real cost of modern emergency care — protecting access in rural communities

WASHINGTON, July 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Rep. August Pfluger (TX-11), along with his colleagues Reps. Jill Tokuda (HI-02), Beth Van Duyne (TX-24), Brad Schneider (IL-10), John Joyce (PA-13), Kim Schrier (WA-08), Claudia Tenney (NY-24), and Terri Sewell (AL-07), introduced the Reimbursing Emergency Services for Critical Urgent Events (RESCUE) Act of 2026. This bipartisan legislation delivers a long overdue update to the way Medicare pays for ground and air ambulances, a forward-looking, long-term solution for emergency medical services (EMS) providers and a clearer, cost-based process for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to maintain going forward.

“EMS providers and first responders show up for our communities every single day, often in the most difficult moments imaginable, and they deserve a Medicare system that shows up for them in return,” said Rep. August Pfluger (TX-11). “I’m proud to help lead the bipartisan RESCUE Act to ensure EMS is reimbursed based on the real cost of the care they provide, just like other healthcare providers already are. This is especially critical in rural Texas and rural communities across the country, where a funding shortfall can mean the difference between an EMS agency staying open or shutting its doors. We will keep working to close this gap and make sure rural America never loses access to the emergency care it depends on.”

Most Americans do not think about emergency medical services until crisis strikes – until the moment a life depends on how fast help arrives. Costs have changed. Standards have changed. Medicare’s payment model has not. Payment policies that have gone more than two decades without an update have pushed this critical infrastructure toward financial strain, and the RESCUE Act of 2026 marks a first step toward reversing that trend.

“As Co-Chair of the Congressional Air Medical Caucus, I know that every second counts when it comes to getting patients to lifesaving care,” said Rep. Jill Tokuda (HI-02). “For people living in rural America, medical care isn’t always around the corner—it often requires long drives or emergency flights, especially to reach specialized treatment. We cannot allow outdated Medicare payment rates to jeopardize the air and ground ambulance services our rural and remote communities rely on. The RESCUE Act is essential to protecting access to emergency care when it matters most.”

EMS providers stand on the front line of our nation’s healthcare system, responding 24/7 to serve Americans in crisis. The ability to respond quickly is often the difference between life and death.

“Global Medical Response’s commitment to delivering care to the world at a moment’s notice requires operational readiness, but current Medicare reimbursement falls short of supporting what is required to properly serve. GMR must be prepared for rare but serious situations, which requires staffing, equipment and training so we can respond immediately when lives are at risk, but inadequate payment policies threaten the sustainability of EMS nationwide,” said Nick Loporcaro, Board Chair and CEO of Global Medical Response. “Rep. Pfluger’s bipartisan legislation addresses these fundamental challenges, ensuring providers can continue offering comprehensive emergency care when Americans face medical emergencies.”

This bipartisan legislation provides a necessary solution to modernize the Medicare payment structure so emergency medical services are treated similarly to other healthcare providers, with payments based on real cost data. Under this approach, Medicare’s payment rates will be more transparent, financially responsible, and cost-based, helping to close the financial gap between reimbursement and the cost of services for EMS providers.

“For patients experiencing serious injury or a medical emergency, access to air medical transport can be the difference between survival and avoidable tragedy — and right now, an unsustainable gap between actual operating costs and Medicare reimbursement rates puts that access at risk,” said Ben Clayton, CEO of Life Flight Network. “This bipartisan legislation takes a meaningful step toward closing that gap, ensuring patients we serve in rural and underserved communities across the Pacific Northwest, Intermountain West, and Hawaii continue to have access to the lifesaving care and rapid transport they depend on.”

Members of the Emergency Ambulance Operators Alliance — Acadian Ambulance Service, Apollo MedFlight, Falck USA, Global Medical Response, Life Flight Network, and PHI Air Medical — commend these congressional leaders for their commitment to protecting emergency medical services and the communities we serve.

We urge Congress to move swiftly to approve this legislation and sustain our nation’s emergency medical infrastructure for ground and air ambulances.

Read the RESCUE Act one-pager and HR 9970 bill text.

About the Emergency Ambulance Operators Alliance: The Emergency Ambulance Operators Alliance unites industry leaders to protect emergency medical services and ensure life-saving care is available to communities of all sizes.

Media Contact: [email protected]

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/emergency-ambulance-operators-alliance-welcomes-introduction-of-the-bipartisan-rescue-act-of-2026-302836733.html