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Commission approves 2.7% CPI rate increase for South Texas Emergency Care Foundation contract
Summary
The commission approved a 2.7% rate increase from South Texas Emergency Care Foundation (the city’s EMS provider), citing a CPI adjustment and noting the change does not affect Medicare or Medicaid reimbursement levels.
San Benito commissioners approved a 2.7% rate increase proposed by South Texas Emergency Care Foundation, the city’s emergency medical services (EMS) provider.
Sebastian, identified in the meeting as the executive director of South Texas Emergency Care Foundation, said the board adopted a CPI-adjusted rate of 2.7 percent based on the Consumer Price Index released in August. He told commissioners the increase does not change what Medicare and Medicaid pay; those federal programs reimburse based on their own schedules and are not affected by the local billing rates.
Sebastian described the charity and bad-debt write-offs the provider carries, indicating the agency writes off between roughly $3 million and $5 million a year for charity and bad debt. He also walked commissioners through regional rate comparisons showing San Benito’s basic life support rate was listed in the packet as $868 before insurer-allowed adjustments.
Commissioners asked about transport charges for trips between nursing homes and doctor visits, availability of units, and how emergency units are tied up at hospitals awaiting patient beds. Sebastian described operational staffing, rotating basic life support units, and hospital bottlenecks that can leave ambulances temporarily unavailable for calls.
The commission accepted the rate adjustment; the provider’s contract runs through Dec. 31, 2025, according to the transcript. Staff did not provide an exact roll-call tally in the transcript; the motion carried.
