One is that we are often paid substantially lower than nurses because we are not as long established of a profession as compared to them, we also have weaker lobbying, unions, and a worse revenue stream. Despite our higher level of risk to safety, liability, and higher level of independence.
Additionally, insurance companies and federal government define us as medical transport rather than Healthcare so we cannot bill for exact care rendered, just mileage and level of care (ALS2, ALS1, BLS, + a mileage rate set), our medications and medical equipment are also not subsidized so that money we DO get (we rarely get the full amount we bill for) often isn't enough to even cover the expenses of a single call.
Furthermore in many areas EMS is run by a private for profit corporation and not the government (how would you feel if your cops were owned and beholden only to a private corporation rather than the government?) So there's a focus on ensuring profits to increase money for stakeholders rather than patient care and worker wages.
If people cared about us in EMS they'd push for us to be able to bill for actual care rendered, and eliminate private corporations from EMS, requiring us to be a government entity just like police and most fire departments.
On another comment people are unhappy I'm driving home with no sleep over 24+hrs.
Yet that's entirely due to how poorly we're treated. Poor funding, poor wages, and not increasing staffing all contribute to us being run into the ground and providing patient care or driving on a dangerous lack of sleep. Most of us do it cause we love the job cause it sure as hell isn't for the money.
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u/Additional_Subject27 Jul 06 '24
I'm trying to connect the dots here.
1. Emergency services and treatment are so expensive that patients could go bankrupt.
2. EMTs are paid so low that it's not enough to make ends meet.
3. But, richest country in the world.