🚨 ALABAMA EMS ALERT 🚨
Being there when Alabamians need us most is what ambulance services do every single day — but right now, that commitment is at risk.
CMS has ordered a halt on the processing and payment of all Medicare ambulance claims during the ongoing government shutdown.
For Alabama’s EMS providers, this has created an immediate funding crisis.
With more than 60% of ambulance service revenue depending on Medicare payments, this shutdown threatens to cut off the financial lifeline that keeps ambulances on the road and crews ready to respond.
Without cash flow, Alabama ambulance services — especially those in rural and super-rural communities — face:
🚑 Delayed payroll and vendor payments
⛽ Limited ability to fuel and maintain ambulances
👩⚕️ Reduced staffing and shift coverage
📉 Interrupted readiness and delayed response times
In past shutdowns, Medicare base payments continued even when rural add-on payments expired.
This time, CMS has gone further — halting all payments entirely — a move that jeopardizes essential EMS operations in Alabama and across the nation.
We are calling on Congress to act immediately to lift the payment hold and ensure that rural and super-rural add-on payments are reinstated retroactively when the government reopens.
💬 Lives depend on the ability of Alabama ambulance providers to operate today, not weeks from now.
Alabama EMS professionals stand ready — but we need Washington to restore the critical funding that keeps emergency medical care available in every community across our state.
HOUSTON COUNTY: Houston County Sheriff Donald Valenza invites those who play golf to participate in the 3rd Annual Sheriff’s Golf Tournament. The date is October 30, 2025.
The golf tournament proceeds will go to benefit the Alabama Sheriff’s Boy’s and Girl’s Ranch. Some 72 children live in the Alabama Sheriff’s Foster Homes across Alabama.
Contributions are accepted. Call 334-677-4888. Also sponsorships are available.
This is a great cause and changes children’s lives who live in foster care across the Great State of Alabama.
HOUSTON COUNTY: 10:34 AM Houston County 911 and ALEA – Communications dispatched a motor vehicle accident, reported with critical injuries, Highway 84 West and Sanders Road.
The accident involves a semi truck and a pickup truck. There is heavy damage to both vehicles.
Wicksburg Fire – Rescue, Bay Springs Volunteer Fire, Houston County Sheriff Deputies to include Captain James Ivey, and ALEA – Troopers responded. Two Wicksburg Rescue ambulances responded and both transported patients from both the semi and pickup, non-emergency, to a Dothan hospital.
The east bound lanes of traffic was completely blocked as the semi was across both east bounds lane. There was also diesel fuel leakage.
ALEA – Troopers are in charge of the accident investigation.
