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Council reviews one‑year renewal of RWJ Barnabas ambulance contract; members ask about costs to patients and deployment
Summary
Council discussed authorizing the first of three one‑year renewal options with RWJ Barnabas Health to continue providing ambulance service through 06/01/2027; staff said the arrangement is cost‑neutral to the city (ambulance bills are sent to patients) and councilmembers asked about the number and staging of ambulances, response times and patient billing practices.
City staff told the caucus they plan to authorize a one‑year renewal option for an ambulance‑services contract with RWJ Barnabas Health that would cover June 1, 2026 through May 31, 2027.
“This is the ambulance contract… It is no cost to the city,” a city official explained during the presentation, noting the vendor bills patients for transports rather than the city paying the provider directly. Councilmembers raised questions about where ambulances are staged, how many are operating per shift, whether contract language allows the city to direct staging locations and how much ambulance rides can cost for uninsured or underinsured residents.
Staff said the city’s contracts are the product of a 2024 RFP process (which produced a single respondent), that ambulances are stationed throughout the city and that detailed statistics on number of ambulances per shift and cost per ride would require follow‑up. A representative recalled that the medical center previously reported transporting over 140,000 patients a year in RFP materials; staff said quantifying a municipal subsidy to cover unpaid patient balances would be complicated but could amount to millions if the city chose that policy in future years.
The caucus did not record a final vote on the renewal during this session; staff indicated the renewal will be on the council agenda for formal consideration.
