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Resident disputes $75 'treat no transport' EMS charge; county officials say fee covers on-scene care
Summary
At open forum, resident Derrick White challenged a $75 EMS bill he received despite not being transported. County Manager Thomas Weaver and Chairman Charles Coffey said the $75 covers on-scene treatment and that the $10 water-bill line funds 9-1-1 service; staff will present an itemized fee breakdown at a future meeting.
A Cusseta resident raised concerns at the Dec. 2 regular meeting about ambulance billing practices after receiving a $75 bill for a medical call that did not result in transport. Derrick White told the Commission he disagreed with the bill and said residents often learn of the charge only when a bill arrives.
County Manager Thomas Weaver told White the $75 charge covers on-scene treatment when responders treat but do not transport a patient; he explained the $10 line on the county water bill is allocated to 9-1-1 service rather than ambulance treatment. Chairman Charles Coffey also spoke to the issue and supported the county manager's explanation. Weaver said the county's transport fees are in line with other area providers and cited typical transport charges in the packet (basic ALS $1,000; ALS2 $1,600; ALS network $950; BLS and other codes were listed with varying amounts in staff materials).
White said his core complaint was lack of public awareness about the $75 charge until a resident receives a bill. Chairman Coffey asked staff to add the topic to a work session for public explanation; Weaver told the board he would bring an itemized breakdown of ambulance charges to a future meeting so the Commission could review how fees are assessed and reported to residents.
The discussion remained at the level of public comment and clarification; no policy change or vote occurred at the Dec. 2 meeting. County staff plans to present detailed billing information at a follow-up work session so the Commission and the public can see the line-item charges and how fees relate to fuel, payroll and treatment costs.
