Harrisburg, PA ─ The Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) today underscored how health services provided by Emergency Medical Services (EMS) agencies will improve for Pennsylvanians thanks to a new $6 million investment in Governor Josh Shapiro's recently signed 2025-26 budget.
The $6 million investment for the Emergency Medical Services Operating Fund will be disbursed to local EMS agencies through Pennsylvania’s 13 regional EMS councils, helping deliver essential funding to support training and educational opportunities, recruit new EMS staff, and purchase new medical equipment for ambulances.
“Our EMS professionals are a lifeline to Pennsylvanians in their most critical health moments,” said Secretary of Health Dr. Debra Bogen. “EMS agencies maintain a constant state of readiness to answer, without hesitation, one of the millions of calls received each year. This investment will help ensure responders have the resources to meet the unique circumstances they face in every medical emergency.”
Supporting emergency health responders continues to be a priority for the Shapiro Administration:
- Act 15 of 2023 increased ambulance mileage reimbursement rates for ambulance services boosting their annual funding level.
- In 2024, the Department of Health launched a three-year tuition assistance program providing up to $5,000 reimbursement for eligible Pennsylvanians earning an Emergency Medical Responder (EMR), Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), Advanced Emergency Medical Technician (AEMT), or a paramedic after July 1, 2023.
- Pennsylvania-licensed EMS agencies are also eligible to receive up to $5,000 in reimbursement per fiscal year for expenses related to recruitment and retention efforts.
Learn more about Pennsylvania EMS on the Department of Health’s website.
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