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Council asks PCC to brief Committee on proposed ambulance fee increases
Summary
Council discussed a PCC billing company recommendation to raise ambulance transport fees to reflect rising costs; members asked PCC to present at the next Committee of the Whole so councilors can question details about rate setting and reimbursement differences between private pay and Medicare/Medicaid.
Councilors reviewed a staff report summarizing recommendations from PCC, the city's ambulance billing company, to adjust the city's ambulance fees to reflect rising operational costs.
A staff presenter summarized PCC's analysis and said the proposed increases would mainly affect private‑pay customers because Medicare and Medicaid reimburse at lower, fixed rates. "Medicare, Medicaid, and Wellmark...are only going to pay what they pay. The rest of that gets written off," the presenter said, explaining why higher billed charges translate into limited additional collections for insured or government payers.
Council members asked for a PCC representative to attend the next Committee of the Whole meeting so the company can explain its rate‑setting methodology and why some comparable counties (for example, Scott County) have higher charges. Members noted concerns about using higher fees to fund vehicle replacements and asked staff to present comparative rate data and the frequency of collections from private‑pay versus contracted insurers.
The committee agreed to invite PCC to the next meeting for a detailed presentation and to continue this topic as a scheduled item rather than rush an immediate vote.
Next steps: staff to request PCC attend the Committee of the Whole to explain recommended rates and provide comparative benchmarks and revenue impact estimates.
