Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Ems Billing topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
EMS presents transport data, proposes contract talks with Ohio Billing for CCNO runs
Summary
EMS reported multi-year transport trends (average ~68 CCNO calls annually), average call times of 1.25–1.5 hours for long transports, and proposed drafting a contract with Ohio Billing to recover availability and transfer costs (planning figure discussed around $550 per run).
EMS staff presented four years of transport data covering 2022–2025, reporting an average of about 68 calls per year to the CCNO facility and noting patterns in where patients were taken (most to Bryan, some to Defiance Regional and occasional out-of-county transfers). Staff said the most common chief complaints were chest pain and altered mental status.
"Our average call time, if we transported to Bryan from CCNO, is 1.25 hours. If we transport Defiance, it's 1.5 hours," an EMS presenter said, noting that travel and turnaround times remove squads from county service for extended periods.
Commissioners and EMS staff discussed billing and reimbursement. Staff said many CCNO transports are billed at Medicaid rates (about $200 per event) and that Medicare or other payers could pay substantially more (staff estimated $400–$600 for some transfers). The board discussed whether the county should negotiate contract terms that reimburse availability or compensate for longer transports and suggested rate differentiation by destination hospital.
EMS staff proposed drafting a contract sample with Ohio Billing to pursue availability and transfer compensation (staff used a planning figure of about $550 per event when estimating potential recovery). The plan is to route a draft through legal review and return to the board for consideration.
Commissioners and staff emphasized balancing partnership with facilities and protecting county resources; no final contract was voted on at the meeting.
