Opinion : EMS As Essential

By Anna Demuth, Benton Co EMS Association President

Only a legislature can make 68 cents 35 cents.

When you see the EMS levy on the November ballot, remember that thanks to the wizardry of property tax formulas, 68 cents per thousand in assessed valuation could become just 35 cents.

Here's how it works.

Here's a simple example.

For a home with a valuation of $175,000, the EMS levy will cost about 17 cents a day. If you're a business, own farmland, or want to know precisely what passage of the EMS levy will cost you, please get in touch with the Auditor's office.

So much for the math. Why is this needed?

Last year, EMS was called to provide services nearly 2,500 times in Benton County, directly serving nearly 10% of the county's population. As the number of EMS calls increases, private insurance, Medicare, and Medicaid reimbursements aren't keeping up with rising costs. If the gap between reimbursements and costs continues to grow, emergency medical services may not be there when you need them most.

Voting to support EMS through a tax levy is new to Iowa, enacted by the legislature two years ago. Emergency medical services in Benton County and the first responders they support have relied on reimbursements and donations, both of which are dwindling.

If you want someone by your side or by the side of your loved one when a medical emergency strikes, please vote YES for EMS on November 7th.