Timely blood transfusions can mean the difference between life and death.
Research shows that every minute of delay in accessing blood increases mortality odds by 5%. With more than half of trauma victims dying before ever reaching the hospital, every moment counts. However, a critical gap exists in our emergency medical services: most patients don't receive their first transfusion until they reach the hospital, regardless of transport time.
Prehospital blood transfusions benefit patients with severe bleeding, including trauma, postpartum hemorrhage, or aortic and brain aneurysms. However, due to outdated payment policies and scope of practice laws, the ability to carry and administer prehospital blood is limited.
The Percentage of Emergency Medical Services Currently Able to Carry and Administer Prehospital Blood Transfusions:
The Root of the Problem: Outdated Reimbursement Policies
The core issue lies with our insurance programs' payment policies. Currently, Medicare, TRICARE, Medicaid, and most private insurance plans have outdated bundled payment rates insufficient to cover the cost of the necessary infrastructure and blood components required for transfusions. This oversight creates a financial barrier that is insurmountable for many EMS’ where blood transfusions could have the greatest impact.
The Current Landscape:
According to data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, between 1-2% of emergency medical services (EMS) currently carry blood for transfusions. Because of the lack of dedicated reimbursement through traditional insurance programs, these EMS’ must rely on local tax support or an organization capable of absorbing the increased cost.
The Call to Congress
To address this critical gap in emergency care, we are urging Congress to modernize our nation’s approach to prehospital blood transfusions by:
Updating federal insurance program payment polices to provide sufficient reimbursement for prehospital blood transfusions.
Updating TRICARE payment policy to remove financial barriers and allow for broader adoption of prehospital blood transfusions, supporting TRICARE’s mission to improve the health of the military and their families which, in turn, helps support the security of the United States.