Grand County EMS warns of rising ambulance costs and seeks Board direction on fees and a planned EMS station

Grand County EMS Director Austin/Steve Wingate (Speaker 18) presented operational and capital requests and led a prolonged discussion about fees and the planned EMS station. EMS projects include replacing an aging ambulance (the budgeted unit is roughly 40% costlier than recent purchases), buying new medical equipment (video laryngoscopes, portable suction) and radios reprogramming. Staff estimated that the service bills roughly $5.5 million annually but recovers about 50% of billed amounts in cash. Chief Wingate said: "it does cost us somewhere between 33—we'll say right around $3,300 every time we roll an ambulance out." The difference is made up by the mill levy and other county revenue.

Commissioners debated fee policy at length. One commissioner proposed reducing standard EMS fees toward about 300% of Medicare (versus current multipliers) to reduce out‑of‑pocket burdens on patients; other commissioners cautioned that lowering fees without reducing operating costs shifts the subsidy burden to property taxpayers. The Board asked EMS to model options ahead of a scheduled fee hearing. EMS also described a planned capital strategy: the county has set aside and plans further transfers to accumulate funds for a new EMS station, and staff proposed reducing a previously planned $25M COP borrowing target to $22M with the expectation that DOLA, CDPHE and other grant opportunities could lower the borrowing need. Commissioners asked staff to return with refined financial modeling of COP amounts and grant scenarios.