A bipartisan bill offered on Jan. 11 by U.S. Reps. Buddy Carter (R-GA) and John Joyce (R-PA) would reauthorize Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMSC), a federal program that helps seriously ill and injured children by ensuring that regardless of where they live, the health systems in their area provide quality emergency care services.
“We owe our children the highest quality care possible, and the EMSC program ensures that all hospitals, regardless of their size or specialty, can meet the needs of young patients,” Rep. Carter said. “As a pharmacist, I understand how critical it is that children receive care that is specialized to their unique needs. The EMSC program has proven that it is an effective approach to saving lives, and I am proud to lead this important bill reauthorizing the program.”
Rep. Carter sponsored the EMSC Reauthorization Act of 2024, H.R. 6960, alongside three original cosponsors, including Rep. Joyce and U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (D-FL), to fund the program at $22.3 million through fiscal year 2024, and at $24.3 million for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2029, according to the text of the bill.
“When it comes to care and treatment, a child is not just a miniature adult. Children have unique medical needs and ensuring that they receive the correct care from the moment that an ambulance is called is critical to help save lives,” Rep. Joyce said. “For decades, the Emergency Medical Services for Children Reauthorization Act has helped protect our most vulnerable when they’re in need.”
EMSC funding is used to ensure that hospitals and ambulances are properly equipped to treat pediatric emergencies, to provide pediatric training to paramedics and first responders, and to improve systems for efficient, effective pediatric emergency medical care, the summary says.
“For nearly four decades, the national EMSC initiative has improved the quality of care for children by recognizing the important physical, developmental, and psychological differences between pediatric patients and adults,” said Rep. Castor.
H.R. 6960 has been endorsed by numerous organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Ambulance Association, the Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs, March of Dimes, the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, and the Society for Pediatric Research, among many others.