Skagit County holds public hearing on proposed ambulance transport fee schedule

Skagit County held a public hearing Oct. 6 on revisions to the county ambulance transport fee schedule as part of a federally- and state-influenced shift in how ground ambulance providers are reimbursed.

Emergency Medical Services Director Josh Polonio told the Board of County Commissioners the county must submit locally set ground-ambulance rates to the Washington Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC) by Nov. 1. “We want to make sure that our rate is up to date so that we can maximize cost recovery for the services provided and keep our system sustainable,” Polonio said during his presentation.

The hearing followed an overview of recent legislation. Polonio explained that the Balance Billing Protection Act has been expanded to include ground ambulance services, which limits the ability of providers to bill patients for amounts not covered by insurers. He also told the commissioners that health plans will be required to reimburse ambulance agencies based on the locally set rates they…