WASHINGTON, Jan. 29 -- Sen. Peter Welch issued the following press release:

U.S. Senators Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), members of the Senate Finance Committee, alongside U.S. Representative Becca Balint (D-VT-At-Large), today reintroduced the Emergency Medical Services Reimbursement for On-scene Care and Support (EMS ROCS) Act, bicameral legislation that would require the government to pay for vital EMS services provided to individuals on Medicare.

Currently, Medicare does not reimburse EMS providers unless the patient is transported to a hospital. However, EMS providers regularly deliver vital services on-scene when responding to 911 calls. In rural communities, the demand for EMS services for medical emergencies conti...