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Everest Emergency Vehicles, Inc.
Premium Sponsorship


TransMedic
Gold Sponsorship


Advantage Billing Concepts
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Physio Control
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Crestline Coach Ltd
Bronze Sponsorship


LarsonAllen LLP
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Metro Area Ambulance Service
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Expert T. Billing
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The College Network, Inc.
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Donations are appreciated and can be
designated to the following funds:
* MN EMS Honor Guard
http://mnemshonorguard.org

* MAA Veterans Paramedic
Apprenticeship Program

* MAA General Fund

 
EMSN Today
~emsnetwork.org~

 

 

President's Message
 

Dear Current & Future MAA Members:

The Minnesota Ambulance Association board of directors would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support. With financial support our grass roots advocacy has made a political impact through meetings and outreach panels with the Minnesota Legislators. The support you provide will continue to help the MAA be a united voice as we represent you on both the State and Federal level.

No matter how large or small we hope the representation we offer you are worth your financial investment. By belonging to the MAA, you are able to receive education discounts, access to the “Member’s only” section of our website, weekly and monthly email updates with classifieds, as well as access to the benefits of the NCEMSC Cooperative. Also your continued support leads to the success of the Minnesota EMS Honor Guard. The Honor Guard is comprised of volunteers that represent EMS at funerals, conferences, and special events. This is a professional organization that truly honors Minnesota’s EMS.

The MAA board continues to work at addressing issues that you bring up as concerns including working and monitoring legislation that impacts EMS, recruitment and retention, financial issues with reimbursement and budgeting, education requirements and staffing requirements. The MAA has worked closely with our peers in the Fire service, police, emergency managers, sheriffs and other association to come to consensus on issues.

Also in 2008, the MAA will once again have a strong Legislative package to bring forward to the Legislature to help address many issues you have brought to our attention. The past year has been very busy as we continue to meet with key Legislators and other stake holder groups to assure the industry suffers no further harm.  

We would like to thank-you for your dedication to improving Minnesota’s EMS delivery system and appreciate your support by being a service and individual member.

 


Respectfully,

 

Buck McAlpin
MAA President

 

Brian Holmer

Vice President

 Legislative Accomplishments & EMS Activities

  1. Creation of an independent EMS regulatory authority
  2. Felony penalty for assaulting EMS personnel and hospital Emergency Department staff
  3. Seat belt fine of $25 with 90% dedication to EMS providers [7/8ths is directed to rural EMS providers
  4. Creation of Regional EMS Programs in statute and continued funding since 1986
  5. Inclusion of ambulance personnel and 1st Responders in the state’s Death Benefits program
  6. Creation of Volunteer Ambulance personnel recruitment & retention program with an initial and dedicated funding of $1 million/year
  7. Creation of EMS Taxing Districts [allows local taxing to support 1st responders, ambulance, emergency communications and related activities]
  8. Extending Revenue Recapture Act to all ambulance services [allows ambulance services to collect unpaid ambulance bills through the state]
  9. Three-fold increase in volunteer ambulance training reimbursement
  10. Tax exemptions for all licensed ambulance services from sales, license plate, repair parts
  11. State gas tax exemption for all ambulance providers [21 cents/gallon]
  12. Appropriations for Automatic External Defibrillators [AED] for volunteer ambulance providers
  13. Exemption for annual licensing fees for air ambulances
  14. Mandatory reimbursement for all emergency ambulance calls; tighten reimbursement criteria for non-emergency ambulance transfers
  15. Extend Good Samaritan protection for non-EMS, full-time employees who use an AED
  16. State subsidy for the Comprehensive Advanced Life Support [CALS] program that began with $108,000/year and was increased to $408,000/year.
  17. Blocked mandatory reporting by EMS personnel of patients suspected of being under influence of drugs or alcohol
  18. Secured study on ambulance insurance premium increases
  19. Secured study and recommendations on Ambulance Subscription Plans
  20. Creation of Volunteer Ambulance license plates
  21. Penalties for failure to yield to emergency vehicles
  22. Definition and voluntary registration of first responders and medical response units
  23. Inclusion of emergency ambulance in Minnesota Care insurance program
  24. Changed the law to allow for the creation of the North Central EMS purchasing cooperative
  25. Extended Peer Review protection to ambulance services
  26. Prohibition of discrimination against EMS personnel in securing health and life insurance
  27. Secured funding for statewide EMS Communications study
  28. Secured $199,000 for emergency communications equipment, destroyed by storms
  29. Successfully opposed reduction in Regional EMS Funding
  30. Successfully opposed substantive changes in current ambulance licensing laws
  31. Allowed waiver for the 2 EMT requirement for volunteer ambulance services
  32. Successfully challenged Met Life Insurance Company’s reduction in ambulance reimbursement under auto insurance
  33. Increased Medicaid reimbursement for ambulance [resulted in nearly doubling reimbursement for public assistance patients]
  34. Secured two ambulance positions (one rural; one metro) on the Statewide Radio Board
  35. Worked to prevent cuts in EMS-related funds (no funding was reduced)
  36. Secured an amendment to include EMS personnel to Chapter 173 that requires flags be flown at half-staff upon the death of public safety and military personnel, killed in the line of duty
  37. Worked with other organizations to secure passage of the 0.08 DWI legislation
  38. Worked with other organizations to secure passage of the PBX legislation
  39. Successfully blocked legislation that would have prohibited us of social security numbers as identifiers for ambulance data collection
  40. Successful in gaining approval by one house, but not the other of increased 911 surcharge; income tax checkoff (which would have partially supported the MAA Honor Guard); making it a crime to interfere with ambulance personnel; enhanced highway scene safety for EMS providers; extension of the EMS Taxing District law
  41. Dedicated considerable time and effort working on tort reform for EMTALA-related and ambulance care
  42. Secured permanent funding ($682,000 per year) for Metro East and Metro West online medical control
  43. Allowing use of Drive Cam devices in emergency vehicles
  44. Expands to 4 hours the post-incidence reporting for interfering with emergency vehicles
  45. Played key role in securing passage of legislation creating a Statewide Trauma  System and permanent funding
  46. Successfully prevented passage of legislation that would have repealed the statutory mandate of $20,000 personal injury coverage for automobile insurance policies sold in Minnesota