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Lawmakers press department on EMS funding, MSOF audit and new equipment grants
Summary
Testimony described EMS workforce and funding strains, a $6 million MSOF allocation for regional EMS councils and reforms after an auditor general's report; members pressed documentation, distribution timelines and evidence of results.
Lawmakers pressed Department of Health officials about the state of emergency medical services in Pennsylvania, funding for readiness, and steps taken after an auditor‑general performance audit of the Emergency Medical Services Operating Fund (MSOF).
"EMS faces a number of challenges," Secretary Bogan said, detailing financial stress from unreimbursed readiness time and workforce shortages. She noted last year's Medicaid reimbursement changes — including a higher rate and payment for the first loaded mile — and said the administration has added an extra $6,000,000 in MSOF funds to regional EMS councils for equipment, training and recruitment.
Representative Rigby referenced a November 2025 auditor‑general performance audit that found weak documentation for many MSOF expenditures and asked what the department has done. Bogan said no funds are missing and described a multi‑step response: in 2023 the department developed new fiscal management software, provided training and established controls to address documentation gaps; those reforms, she said, will show in future audits covering the post‑reform period.
Committee members asked for performance metrics. Bogan pointed to examples — one regional council purchased video laryngoscopes for ambulances to improve first‑pass intubation — and said funds were being spent over a planned three‑year drawdown so regional councils could deploy equipment and training effectively. She invited members to follow up for audit evidence and program evaluations.
Members also raised EMS staffing retention and turnover. Secretary Bogan and staff described recruitment programs, summer camps that reach high‑school students and regional training incentives to build career pathways.
The hearing produced no formal vote. Lawmakers asked the department for follow‑up documentation demonstrating that reforms corrected prior audit weaknesses and for metrics showing the $6 million allocation's impact on EMS readiness and retention.
