WASHINGTON — The federal government is back open — and that’s good news for EMS agencies.

After the longest shutdown in U.S. history , lawmakers passed and enacted H.R. 5371 — the Continuing Appropriations, Agriculture, Legislative Branch, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Extensions Act, 2026, officially ending the funding lapse. The bill not only restores normal government operations but also reinstates critical Medicare provisions that directly impact ambulance providers.

Here’s what EMS leaders need to know.

Medicare ambulance add-ons are back — retroactively

The bill reinstates the ground ambulance add-on payments that had expired on Sept. 30. According to the PWW Advisory Group, that includes:

A 2% increase for urban transports

A 3% increase for rural

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