Medical studies have shown that administering whole blood before patients reach the emergency room significantly improves survival odds. Despite this evidence, most EMS agencies do not carry blood.
For patients experiencing severe blood loss, their chance of survival diminishes with every minute they go without a transfusion.
Despite the success EMS providers have shown using whole blood in the field, financial and logistical challenges prevent broader adoption, KY3 reports. Whole blood must be kept cold and then warmed before administration. In addition, the care is not not widely reimbursed.
Diane Calmus, Vice President of Government Affairs with America’s Blood Centers, told KY3, Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurers currently only reimburse for blood transfusions administered in hospitals.
However, Medicare is reportedly considering expanding coverage for medically necessary whole blood transfusions in the field. Medicaid decisions about funding would need to be made at the state level.
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- Whole Blood Transfusion Program Launched in Two CO Counties
- Whole Blood in the Field: The Next Frontier of ‘What’s Actually Impossible?’
- American College of Surgeons Supports Prehospital Blood Programs