One thing that really irks me about the so-called “Field EMS Bill” is how people think that creating a single Federal agency for EMS issues will solve the neglect that some perceive that EMS receives from the Federal government. Of course, the limited government advocate in me says that being ignored by the Feds helps EMS overall.
Having said that, though, let me throw more cold water on the idea of a Federal EMS office, whether it’s in the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Health and Human Services, or even back in the Department of Transportation. Such an office means that we’d have some sort of voice at the table, yes. However, it wouldn’t necessarily be a true advocate for EMS. Rather, it’d probably end up as some symbolic gesture where, at best, the bureaucrats could say that, “Yes, before we cut the Medicare ambulance rate again, we showed it to the Federal Office of EMS.”
To truly advocate for EMS, we need to step up and do what the other professions do. Namely, we have to involve ourselves in the political process. We need to donate to candidates, fight bad policies, and campaign like heck for those that do support EMS. And we need lawyers and lobbyists too — to help draft legislation, to monitor legislation, and to monitor the bureaucracy’s actions and proposed regulations.
There’s no Federal Office of Physicians or Attorneys. Why? Because a real profession advocates for itself.
