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County directs staff to research EMS billing increases, schedule public hearing in July
Summary
County fire and rescue staff proposed raising transport fees to recoup rising EMS supply and medication costs, adding a specialty care/critical care transport fee and increasing mileage. The board asked staff to research comparable jurisdictions' fee formulas and to advertise a public hearing for July.
The board heard a staff presentation from Isle of Wight Fire Rescue about proposed changes to the county’s EMS fee schedule designed to recoup rising costs for controlled‑substance handling, IV/drug kits and other EMS supplies.
Why it matters: EMS billing revenue partly offsets the cost of emergency medical services. County staff proposed modest increases to bring private‑insurance billings more in line with other regional providers and to create a specialty care transport fee for critical/interfacility transports that use advanced equipment.
What staff proposed
County EMS staff reported current fees (reading examples: BLS transport, ALS1, ALS2) and compared local allowables to neighboring localities. Staff proposed raising BLS by $50 and raising ALS1 and ALS2 by $200 each for private insurers and private‑pay accounts. Staff also proposed adding a specialty care/critical care transport fee (for ventilator/advanced pump transports) and increasing the loaded mileage rate.
Board direction and next steps
Supervisors asked staff to confirm how comparable localities set fees (some use a percentage above Medicare allowables), to confirm legal constraints such as Safe Harbor rules and how co‑pays are handled, and to explore whether hospitals provide compensation for interfacility transfers when beds are needed. The board asked staff to prepare detailed proposed fee language, to verify regional comparators (for example, James City, York County, Portsmouth) and to advertise a public hearing; staff said the public notice must be in the paper by June 20 to appear on the July board agenda.
Ending
Staff will return at the July board meeting with a public‑hearing advertisement and a packet describing the proposed fee changes, comparative jurisdiction rates and estimated revenue impact.
