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Fire department employee opposes EMS 'soft billing' proposal at finance committee meeting
Summary
A Delaware City Fire Department employee spoke at the finance committee meeting to oppose a proposed EMS soft-billing program, saying such billing would be impractical on chaotic emergency scenes and could deter residents from seeking care.
At the start of the June 2 meeting, a Delaware City firefighter addressed the Finance Committee to oppose a proposed EMS “soft billing” practice.
Wayne Brookover, who identified himself as a Delaware City Fire Department employee and a resident at 78 North Washington Street, told the committee: “I don't think EMS soft billing is a good idea at all.” He said emergency scenes can be chaotic and that crews cannot reasonably collect insurance information during high-acuity calls such as cardiac arrests, overdoses or strokes.
Brookover said the city’s emergency response should not add a billing barrier that might discourage people from calling 911. “We don't charge anything. We operate off of the income tax. You will have a hospital bill, but you will never get a bill from us,” he said, urging officials to rely on existing income-tax-supported funding rather than adopting EMS billing.
No committee action on EMS billing occurred at the June 2 meeting; Brookover’s remarks were recorded during the public-comment portion at the start of the session.
