Providers of ambulance and other emergency services in Illinois face a shortage of money. Some patients use on Medicaid, Illinois' low-income health insurance, to pay for trips.
But Illinois owes $2.5 billion in Medicaid bills. America Ambulance in Springfield is owed 330-thousand dollars - money that operations manager Josh Ross says the company could put to good use.
“That really kind of puts the pinch on us because that money goes to paying our staff, upgrading our fleet, maintenance of our fleet, making sure that we have the best equipment available,” says Ross.
Ross says America Ambulance hasn't had to worry about budget cuts. Other operations around the state haven't been as fortunate. Some have had to merge to save on costs, which means longer trips for emergency personnel.