The director of a Louisville public policy think tank expects a new emergency state regulation will result in more ambulances for six counties with insufficient emergency healthcare response.
Harris says the new regulation modifies certificate of need requirements but maintains significant regulatory oversight. “For those six counties, it’s going to be easier for a provider to enter the marketplace, or there’s less of a regulatory burden I should say for a provider to enter the marketplace. Now that doesn’t mean that there’s no oversight whatsoever. There’s still going to be significant regulatory oversight,” explained Harris.
The change is expected to benefit the counties of Pike, Laurel, Jessamine, McCracken, Warren, and Bullitt.
These six counties in Kentucky have populations over 50,000 and only one class I ambulance provider not owned or operated by a public entity.?
Elkhorn City Mayor Mike Taylor called it a great day for his Pike County town. He worries about 85 patients in a local nursing home. Taylor said residents have waited up to two hours for an ambulance. The mayor says he’d like to see four ambulances stationed in Elkhorn City.
The change is expected to benefit the counties of Pike, Laurel, Jessamine, McCracken, Warren, and Bullitt. Elkhorn City Mayor Mike Taylor called it a great day for his Pike County community. Under current ambulance services, the mayor says some patients have waited up to an hour and a half for care.
