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American Medical Response presents 8% rate increase request; board asks for contract and postpones action
Summary
AMR requested an 8% rate increase citing rising personnel, fuel and supply costs. The board asked AMR to provide the ambulance contract (section 13 referenced) and deferred any decision to the next weekly business session after staff review.
Representatives of American Medical Response (AMR) presented to the Josephine County Board of Commissioners a request to raise ambulance service rates by 8%, citing inflationary pressures, fuel and medical-supply costs and rising personnel expenses.
AMR representatives outlined recruitment and retention challenges in emergency medical services, including nationwide declines in volunteerism, the need for sign-on and shift incentives, and recent contract negotiations that increased personnel costs. AMR said the service had also absorbed a 911 dispatch billing change that affected revenue and stressed that Medicare/Medicaid payment levels make it difficult to recover full costs in many calls.
Commissioners asked AMR to provide the county a copy of the existing ambulance contract (transcript references section 13) so the board can confirm contractual obligations and the process for rate changes. The board noted it cannot take immediate action at the workshop and requested that AMR provide the contract and any supporting documents for consideration at the next weekly business session.
No change to rates was approved at the workshop; the board will revisit the request after staff and commissioners have had an opportunity to review the contract language and the county’s obligations under it.
