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Resident questions $75 "treat-no-transport" EMS charge; county explains structure
Summary
During public comment, resident Derrick White challenged a $75 EMS bill for on-scene treatment without transport. County Manager Thomas Weaver and Chairman Coffey explained the $75 fee covers on-scene treatment costs and that the $10 water-bill charge funds 911 services; Weaver said he will provide an itemized fee schedule at the next meeting.
A local resident raised concerns at the Dec. 2 meeting about receiving a $75 EMS bill after county ambulance personnel treated him but did not transport him to a hospital. "I do not agree that I should be receiving this bill when I did not get transport to the emergency room," Derrick White told commissioners, and he said the public does not know about the fees until they receive a bill.
County Manager Thomas Weaver responded that the county charges $75 for treatment without transport and that the $10 water-bill line item pays for 911 service, not ambulance treatment. Weaver said the $75 fee "is for treatment, no transport charge for when the ambulance comes out," and that he would present an itemized charge schedule at the next meeting so commissioners and the public can see the line items. Commissioners agreed to place the topic on a future work session agenda for additional explanation.
The issue also came up during the Dec. 22 work session, where Weaver provided additional context and individual service charges used by the ambulance contractor, including the manager's summary that "basic ALS transport is $1,000.00," ALS2 is $1,600.00 and other coded transport levels vary by service. Commissioners requested clearer public communication on EMS fees and proposed that staff post an itemized explanation and include it in meeting materials.
