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Bonner County Ambulance District reports improved cash position, staffing updates and new revenue prospects
Summary
District staff reported a stronger cash position than earlier forecasts, staffing improvements for standby coverage, work on health insurance separation from the county, and potential new Medicaid-related revenue from Idaho’s GMT program.
District staff reported that current forecasts now point to a stronger cash position and that operations have moved from crisis management toward a stable condition, while the board continues detailed budget planning for the next fiscal year.
Chief Lindsey reported that after entering numbers for forecasted expenditures, current cash position and anticipated billing and tax revenue, the district was projecting a year-end position in the roughly $900,000 range. Looking further ahead to the period after tax collections drop in January, Lindsey said the district initially expects a surplus “somewhere in the $100,000 to $200,000 range,” but emphasized that the figure is preliminary and could change.
Staff also reported being up two positions across two shifts and currently able to staff the Priest River fly car on two of three shifts; some standby work and seasonality will be staffed with part-time employees. Chief Brinkmeyer, who handles scheduling, was identified as the person better able to discuss day-to-day staffing details.
On benefits and insurance, the district said it is working with a broker to separate ambulance-district health insurance from the county’s plan; brokers recommended running the district and county processes side-by-side and then segregating coverage to avoid negative crossover effects. The district expects potential premium decreases for ambulance-district health insurance after separation and will present numbers once the county’s process is complete.
Board staff also briefed commissioners on Idaho’s ground emergency medical transportation program (GMT), which is intended to cover the Medicaid reimbursement shortfall the district currently experiences (Medicaid typically reimburses about 70% of billed charges). The district has engaged Public Consulting Group and its billing company to estimate potential additional collections; GMT provides a one-time annual lump-sum payment based on prior uncompensated amounts, and the district will report estimates to the board when available.
The board discussed potential short-term borrowing (a tax anticipation note) as a contingency and asked staff to prepare more granular budget materials in advance of the board’s next detailed review so commissioners and the public can examine proposed cuts and priorities.
Several speakers emphasized staff stability: board members and staff said no layoffs were underway and that they are exploring cost-of-living adjustments and support for EMTs training to become paramedics.
