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Lakeville adopts updated EMS billing rates, town to implement new fees
Summary
The Lakeville Select Board voted to raise emergency medical services billing rates, including mileage and levels of care, approving changes the chief said average about 3%. The board also discussed tracking actual cost impacts and scheduling annual rate reviews.
The Town of Lakeville Select Board on April 28 approved increases to the town's emergency medical services (EMS) billing rates, including the mileage charge and fees tied to levels of care.
The board voted to raise the mileage charge to $41 and set the level-of-care fees at $1,769 for basic life support (BLS), $2,583 for Advanced Life Support 1 (ALS 1) and $3,684 for ALS 2. Town officials said the proposed changes average roughly a 3% annual increase compared with the town's prior practice of aligning with regional averages.
Town Administrator Andrew and Fire Chief Michael O’Brien both participated in the discussion. Chief O’Brien told the board the department receives a confidential benchmarking report from the town’s billing contractor and that the recommended change follows the contractor’s regional averages and the department’s practice of avoiding outlier fees that could draw insurer pushback. He said transport volumes and billable calls were up about 17% year‑over‑year, which has affected revenue trends.
Board members asked about the dataset used for benchmarking and whether a single outlying comparator skewed the averages. Chief O’Brien and staff said the vendor provides aggregated comparative averages but does not identify specific towns. The chief said the town could consider higher changes if the board wanted to be more aggressive, but he recommended modest adjustments so residents would not be unduly burdened.
Board members asked for more detailed cost and revenue analysis before future adjustments. Several members requested an annual calendar item for rate review in early January, timed to receipt of ComStar’s recommendations, and asked the town accountant to provide a breakdown of EMS-related reimbursements and expenses (wage portions, vehicle maintenance, fuel and other costs) for use in next year’s review.
The motion to adopt the updated fee schedule carried by roll call vote. Staff said the new rates would take effect once the board signs the implementing document and that the department would continue its current practice of forwarding billing records to ComStar after local QA review.
The board directed staff to return next year with a clearer estimate of how rate changes translate into net revenue given Medicare/Medicaid contractual adjustments and insurer payment practices.
