Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Madison County EMS director: hospital transfers create large net loss; board to seek meeting with hospital
Summary
EMS Director Brady Foreman told supervisors that Madison County EMS is losing about $198,690.80 annually on hospital transfers based on a five-year average; the board agreed to seek a meeting with hospital leadership to discuss transfer practices and potential contracting options.
Madison County's EMS director, Brady Foreman, told the Board of Supervisors that long-distance and routine transfers from Madison County Hospital are producing a sizable operating loss for the county ambulance service.
Foreman said Madison County averages about 280 transfers annually from Madison County Hospital and that a county calculation using the current reimbursement model puts the cost of a 911 transport at $1,605.61. He said the average reimbursement for hospital transfers over recent years is about $896, producing a projected annual net loss of $198,690.80 when the 280-transfer average is applied.
Foreman said the county participates in a federal Medicaid offset program (referred to in the meeting as GEMP/GMT) that factors in depreciation, employment and other costs; reimbursement rules mean the county is paid only when the transport is deemed medically necessary by the payer (Medicare/Medicaid/insurers). He said many hospital transfers are effectively subsidized by the county and add wear-and-tear and staffing pressure on ambulances.
Supervisors and Foreman discussed options including scheduling a follow-up meeting with hospital leadership to show the data, and exploring subscription or contractual arrangements by which the hospital might help offset transfer costs. Foreman said he would try again to set a meeting and provide the board with updates so the projected loss can be accounted for in upcoming budget discussions.
