Lakeville Select Board adopts updated ambulance billing, hardship policy

The Town of Lakeville’s Select Board voted Feb. 3 to adopt an updated Ambulance Service Billing, Collection and Financial Hardship policy intended to clarify collection procedures and a non‑discriminatory hardship standard.

The policy presented by the police/fire chief replaces an older 2014 directive and leans on the federal poverty guidelines rather than fixed dollar cutoffs. As the chief explained, the new approach references annually updated federal poverty thresholds and allows graduated relief ranges (for example, 125%–150% or up to 300% of the poverty guideline as the board chooses), which staff said offers flexibility and avoids hard-coded dollar amounts that quickly become outdated.

Board members asked for clarity on two practical points: the treatment of small unpaid ambulance balances (the chief said many unpaid balances fell below roughly $300 and would often be written off) and an annual review cadence. The motion the board passed included a provision that the policy be reviewed yearly in December or on an ad hoc basis if needed. One board member moved the adoption; the motion was seconded and approved by roll call.

The chief told the board he had surveyed comparable departments and combined best practices into the draft presented, and recommended leaving hardship guidance tied to federal metrics so the policy remains current. He also said petitions for hardship relief have been rare in his seven years of administering the system (two petitions in seven years), so the town does not expect significant fiscal impact from adopting a more lenient sliding scale.

The board’s action formalizes town practice for billing and collection and authorizes staff to implement the updated hardship-review process. The policy will be placed on an annual review schedule starting this December and earlier if legislative changes require it.