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Redondo Beach approves contract to begin billing for EMS responses; $313 fee proposed
Summary
City council directed staff to finalize a contract with Whitman Enterprises to begin billing for emergency medical responses, with a $313 per-incident fee already in the budget and collection mechanisms and protections to be defined.
The Redondo Beach City Council voted unanimously to direct staff to complete a draft agreement with Whitman Enterprises to begin billing residents and patients for emergency medical services (EMS) responses.
The move implements the council's long-running discussion about charging users of EMS rather than relying solely on property tax and general fund support. Fire Chief Patrick Butler told the council that the department responds to about 7,000 medical incidents each year and that “a user fee is really designed to charge the fee to those folks that use the service.”
Council discussion centered on the fee’s design, possible effects on callers, and how to treat frequent users such as residential care facilities. Butler and the city manager said the planned process would bill insurers first, then the patient if insurance did not cover the charge, and that the department has not seen evidence elsewhere that people avoid calling 911 because of fees. “Many of our 911 calls end up with an ambulance transport,” Butler said.
Staff said the fee proposed in the city’s budget is $313 per EMS response; the council previously adopted that amount in 2023 but did not implement billing operations until now. Whitman Enterprises would perform billing; staff reported the vendor is offering an introductory charge of about $15–$17 per account opened the first year. City Manager Watsanski said initial conservative revenue estimates for the budget included roughly $250,000, while full implementation could yield substantially more over time.
Council members pressed for protections and practical details. Members asked whether frequent users — described in one example as a facility that generated about 150 calls a year — could be handled differently. Butler said the city could pursue regulatory or enforcement options against facilities that repeatedly generate very high call volumes if the facilities fail to meet care obligations. The council also discussed subscription options — a flat annual charge that would exempt subscribers from per-call billing — and payment-plan protections for individuals.
Action: Council directed staff to complete the draft agreement with Whitman Enterprises and return with a finalized contract. The motion passed 4–0. City officials said staff will return July 15 with the final contract and additional program details for the council to consider.
Why it matters: The change shifts more of the direct cost of EMS onto users and insurers rather than the general taxpayer base. Staff said it is intended to offset rising EMS equipment and personnel expenses and to better align costs with usage. The council also weighed equity and access concerns and asked staff to outline guardrails to reduce the risk that the fee would discourage legitimate 911 calls.
What’s next: Staff will return with the final contract for council approval and a more detailed implementation plan, including billing rules, insurance coordination, hardship/payment plan policies and anticipated first-year yields.
