Emergency Medical Services/Trauma Systems. Funding in the United States and Proposed Legislation for Texas

摘要

Funding for Emergency Medical Services (EMS)/Trauma Systems is being brought to the forefront of debate as states struggle to reduce budgets and federal funding shrinks. All state EMS directors or health departments having responsibility over emergency and trauma program planning, were contacted during a telephone survey in September 1996 and asked seven questions designed to elicit specific funding limits, sources of those funds and current state positions and policies on funding EMS and trauma programs. Cumulatively, the states spent $14.5 million in fiscal year 1996 from federal government sources and $161.6 million in state monies to fund EMS and trauma. The national average for per capita expenditures on EMS and trauma is $0.57. There is no consistency in how states fund EMS and trauma programs. Most states fund both programs from one budget and few actually denote funds specially for trauma programs. The states that receive revenues from fines assessed on traffic violations and fees from motor vehicle registration have the best funding. These states consistently fund EMS/ Trauma systems above the national per capita average and have reduced or no dependence on federal funding. Seven states have very successful programs which are not dependent on federal funding and utilize monies generated by fines assessed on moving traffic violations. Texas should follow the lead of these states since current funding levels fail to provide adequate resources to operate a comprehensive statewide EMS/Trauma system.