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Waterville council adopts higher ambulance fees, splits ALS charges
Summary
Council approved Resolution 0825 to raise basic life support (BLS) transport fees and to restructure advanced life support (ALS) billing into ALS 1 and ALS 2 categories; staff said collections are handled by a billing company.
The City of Waterville council approved Resolution 0825, which raises the city's ambulance transport charges and bifurcates advanced life support billing into two tiers.
John (municipal administrator) presented the proposed fee changes. He said the city compared local charges and found Waterville’s current rates among the lowest, and recommended increases to align with neighboring communities. Under the proposal, the basic life support (BLS) transport charge would increase from $550 plus $10 per mile to $900 plus $25 per mile.
Staff also proposed restructuring the advanced life support (ALS) rate into ALS 1 and ALS 2 categories to better reflect differing levels of service. John stated the proposal would set ALS 1 at $1,250; the transcript does not provide a final figure for ALS 2.
A council member asked who submits ambulance charges for reimbursement, and John replied the city processes the charges but uses a contracted billing company to pursue reimbursements from Medicare and insurers.
The council moved, seconded and approved the resolution on the council floor. The action updates the city’s fee ordinance to the new rates and restructuring; staff will continue to use the billing contractor to submit claims and collect reimbursement.
