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Long Beach council adopts updated ambulance-billing ordinance after public hearing
Summary
Council adopted an ordinance to amend the municipal code for emergency ambulance services, updating billing categories to align with federal Medicare/Medicaid categories and raising rates (not to exceed 75% of local high-area charges). Staff said the change cleans up billing language; residents asked whether essential treatments (oxygen/defibrillation) remain covered.
The City Council on Oct. 15 adopted an ordinance amending Long Beach’s code of ordinances to update billing for emergency ambulance services.
City staff explained the ordinance modernizes billing language and aligns local categories with federal billing categories (Basic Life Support, Advanced Life Support 1 and 2). The presentation noted the municipality has billed for ambulance transport since 1993 and last updated rates in 2018; the proposed schedule limits increases so that city charges do not exceed 75% of the highest rates in surrounding municipalities. City staff told the council the intention is to simplify itemized billing, not to withhold necessary medical treatment — oxygen and defibrillation will continue to be provided when clinically required.
During the public hearing residents raised affordability concerns and asked for clarity on which items would be billed separately. Scott Kemmons (staff) and other city staff walked through the three-tier billing approach and said that oxygen is typically part of basic life-support treatment while advanced life-support charges apply to defibrillation and cardiac monitoring when those services are provided.
Council action: after the hearing the council moved adoption and recorded a unanimous vote in favor of the ordinance to amend emergency ambulance billing. Council indicated staff will provide additional billing detail to the public if requested.
