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St. Mary’s County commissioner says EMS uses 'soft billing,' residents should still call 911
Summary
A commissioner told residents that St. Mary’s County EMS billing is handled as 'soft billing'—insurance companies are billed first and residents should not have to pay amounts beyond what insurers cover; staff will review the billing process further.
A commissioner at a St. Mary’s County meeting said the county’s emergency medical services program uses a "soft billing" approach and urged residents not to avoid calling 911 because of billing concerns.
The commissioner said the county bills insurance companies first and that "anything exceeding that is soft billing," adding, "you will not have to pay it." The official encouraged residents who receive bills to report them to the county so staff can follow up.
Why this matters: County officials said the shift to paid EMTs prompted the billing program; concerns about residents receiving unexpected letters prompted the clarification. The commissioner said staff will review the program again to ensure it is operating correctly.
Details from the meeting: The commissioner said private vendors appear to be sending some of the collection letters and noted confusion when people have multiple insurers—one insurer might send a small balance while another covers the full charge. "You gotta pay attention to all that," the commissioner said, and apologized for the confusion while saying the county is "straightening that out now." The county also noted that residents do not have to pay charges beyond what insurers cover and should report problematic bills.
Context and next steps: The commissioner said the county started the billing program after moving to paid EMTs and that officials will "have to look at it again to make sure that we're doing this right." No formal vote or ordinance on billing changes was recorded in the meeting transcript.
