posted August 12, 2025

Senator Marshall Experiences Firsthand the Lifesaving Role of Air Medical Services in Kansas 

EMPORIA, Aug 12, 2024 – U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) spent the morning on Aug. 8 with the dedicated crew of LifeSave Kansas in Emporia to gain a firsthand understanding of the critical care they provide across the region and how Medicare and Medicaid funding impact this vital resource for rural Kansans. LifeSave is part of Air Methods, the nation’s leading emergency air medical service provider. 

“As a physician who practiced medicine in rural Kansas for more than 25 years, I regularly used air transport services to help my patients safely and efficiently move to a new facility,” said Marshall. “I appreciated the opportunity to meet with the LifeSave Kansas team and learn more about how they are serving our rural communities and helping people connect with lifesaving care.” 

During his visit, conversations centered on the challenges presented by the current Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement rates. Medicare rates have not been updated in over 20 years, and emergency air medical flight programs are reimbursed less than 60% of their actual costs. For companies like Air Methods, whose Medicare and Medicaid patients make up about 65% of their total flights, these low reimbursement rates threaten the sustainability of their programs, especially in rural areas. 

“We partner with many rural hospitals that need to get patients to level one and level two tertiary centers but don’t have the resources or the aviation expertise,” said Carolyn Mayle, vice president of governmental affairs with Air Methods. “We fill those gaps and get people to the care they need, but we lose money on every flight when the patient is on Medicare or Medicaid.” 

The group also discussed the Protecting Air Ambulance Services for Americans Act (S. 2518/HR 4792) recently introduced by U.S. Sens. Marsha Blackburn and Michael Bennet and U.S. Reps. Ron Estes and Suzan Delbene, which would update Medicare reimbursement rates based on actual cost and utilization data. Following that, Marshall took a quick helicopter ride with the LifeSave crew for a unique perspective on their daily operations and the challenges they face in the air. Crew members walked him through their day-to-day operations and the specialized emergency medical equipment inside the aircraft that make rapid response and patient transport possible.  

LifeSave’s air medical teams consist of highly trained pilots, flight nurses, and flight paramedics who deliver the highest level of care in emergency situations, playing a crucial role in both rural and urban areas where timely medical intervention can be a matter of life and death. In addition to their helicopter base in Emporia, the program also has fixed wing bases in Wichita and Liberal. 

“We hope this experience gave Senator Marshall a deeper understanding of the profound impact our teams have on his constituents and surrounding communities,” said LifeSave area manager Brittany Cox. “We are grateful for his support and interest in our mission to save lives.”