by Justin Elder, Senior Regional Sales Manager, Global Medevac
The Affordable Care Act has done quite a number on our health-care systems over the last few years, specifically regarding ambulance provisions. Where some patients have been helped from the newer policies, most have found it incredibly burdensome. The people most affected live in the rural communities.
It does not take much stretch of the imagination to consider the impact that 2020 has had on health care as a whole. Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, studies were showing that up to 21% of rural hospitals across America were in danger of closing in 2020 due to lack of funding. Add to this the mess that has played with our economy, and we have ourselves the making of a perfect storm.
While there are very much adverse effects of the slowing economy, what has been produced throughout the first-responder community is a sense of renewal. Many services were taxed beyond their means over the last seven months, but several other avenues for care have evolved.
For instance, the “Golden Hour” — the one-hour time frame needed to provide life-saving care to a patient in an emergency — has never been better. As the pandemic increased, we saw a heightened sense of care being placed on the basics.
There are currently over 2,000 ground and helicopter ambulance providers in the country and each of them has the unabated gratitude and appreciation of the community they serve. It is job one of any first responder to ensure the safety and security of every American, and it’s done typically without a proper thank you.
So to everyone on the front lines doing their duty in spite of the fledgling systems, we offer our deepest and most sincere appreciation.
We are in this together, and we will triumph together once this is over!