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Fire chief proposes $550 no-transport ambulance fee for health-care facilities; committee forwards fee schedule
Summary
Fire Chief Jeff Lowe proposed applying the $550 base ambulance fee to calls to health-care and assisted-living facilities that request city response but can be served by facility staff; the committee moved the updated EMS no-transport fee schedule to the City Council for adoption and discussed enforcement and collection challenges.
Jeff Lowe, Bangor's fire chief, proposed that the city begin billing health-care and assisted-living facilities a $550 base ambulance fee for calls where the facility requests a city response but the facility has the capacity to assist the person on site.
"We started tracking calls, late last year...2 75 is what we did last year for runs to those types of facilities," Chief Lowe said, describing the volume as taxing on the system. He added that "this year so far...we're already up to 225 calls," and that "if you look at 225 calls and you figure, half an hour for each call, that comes out to about...hours that we spend providing services to those...facilities." Lowe said the department's proposal is to "apply the base ambulance fee that we do for, medical calls when we transport somebody, and that is...$550." He said the intent is to recoup some operational cost and address what he described as a system loophole.
Committee members asked about who the city would bill and enforcement. Councilor Ish asked whether the facility or a resident's insurance would be billed; Chief Lowe said, "that is who we'll be billing is the facility." Council members raised concerns about collection: one member observed that if a facility received multiple bills it could owe thousands and asked, "What if they don't pay? But we can't lien their property. So are we is there any teeth to this at all?" Chief Lowe replied the city would consult the city manager and legal counsel and indicated an ordinance change might be required to pursue collection.
Council members asked whether the fee would deter facilities from calling emergency services. Lowe said he did not believe the fee would deter appropriate calls because failing to assist a patient posed liability for the facility. Committee members ultimately moved and seconded approval of the updated fee structure and recorded no objections; the order will appear on the City Council agenda for consideration.
The committee discussion did not include a final enforcement mechanism, a written collection policy, or a detailed estimate of revenue; Chief Lowe said staff would consult legal counsel about next steps.
