HELENA, Mont. (NMB) – The Montana Senate voted unanimously Monday to advance a bill that would allow EMTs and paramedics to offer community health care in non-emergency situations.
Tim Pierce with the UM Legislative News Service reports, Tri-Lakes Volunteer Fire Department Fire Chief Bob Drake supported Senate Bill 38 during its public hearing in January. He says his volunteer-only department often responds to emergency calls that wouldn’t happen if they were able to offer care beforehand.
“We don’t have the ability to be proactive. We’re always being reactive, and reactive costs way more money. And it costs us in volunteer hours that we just don’t have.”
Democratic Senator Margie MacDonald from Billings, who’s sponsoring the bill, says EMTs and paramedics could offer expanded medical services if they weren’t restricted to only responding to emergency calls.
“Particularly in rural areas, we can get some services to people and keep them out of the emergency room. Right now, this group of folks is prohibited from doing anything except moving someone from an emergency to the emergency room.”
The bill will face another vote in the Senate before it moves to the House.
