The RESCUE Act is one of the most significant proposals in decades to modernize Medicare's ambulance payment system. This analysis breaks down what the bill actually changes, what it leaves untouched, and why its biggest implications may extend well beyond how Medicare calculates the price of a transport.

What does an ambulance ride actually cost? Three landmark reports released over the past seven months provide the clearest answers yet, and together they raise an even more important question about whether today's reimbursement system reflects the care EMS delivers today.