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Durham County EMS cites rising call volume, revenue gap from Medicaid changes and asks for ambulances and staff
Summary
Office of Emergency Services Director Mark Lockhart told commissioners May 22 that EMS call volume has risen 24.7% since FY2018 and that a Medicaid program change has left about $2.3 million in claims pending. The office requested 12 clinical positions and five ambulances, and said radios and fleet deliveries face long lead times.
Mark Lockhart, director of Durham County’s Office of Emergency Services, told the Board of Commissioners on May 22 that EMS call volume and operating costs have grown steadily and that a state Medicaid billing change has reduced near‑term revenue.
Lockhart said the county’s EMS fleet modernization is underway — the county received five new Braun ambulances in January, with more units and SUVs on order — but production delays mean new ambulances still have 30‑ to 36‑month delivery windows. “We expect production right now to be still between 30 and 36 months, from the date of order,” Lockhart said, noting additional units are scheduled over the next three fiscal years.
Tracy DeShazo, senior administrative officer, explained how North Carolina’s Medicaid transformation and the introduction of “tailored plans” affected EMS billing. DeShazo told commissioners the county has roughly $2.3 million in EMS claims in a pipeline awaiting processing by the tailored‑plan administrator; she…
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