Councilman Proposes Payment Before Ambulance Service

[Amhet1]

The patients that can pay, do. The ones that cant pay, are called frequent flyers.

[spenac]

This goes back to what we should be doing. What you ask? Only transporting life threatening emergencys. Anyone that can safely go by any other means should be denied transport.

[Chief1C]

The patients that can pay, do. The ones that cant pay, are called frequent flyers.

That's not how it is here.. The ones who can pay, abuse the service, and never pay. The ones who can't, often don't call, because they don't want to be in debt to someone. We have a lot of patients offer something, in exchange for EMS service. Heck, they even come a month before and say, hey, we might need an ambulance, but won't be able to pay, how about I do this; or can we work something out.... and so on. Then, of course, there are the deadbeats who take from everyone possible, welfare, SSD, they lie about an illness to get a ride, and feel it's owed to them, so they don't have to pay. Yanno, we owe them something for their selfless work, as a professional couch potato.

[Dustdevil]

4cmk6 (wtf does that mean anyhow?) is right. There is a significant population in this country that is of the means to pay their bills and it not make the slightest dent in their wealth. They simply don't. There is an old saying among the rich, and that is..

• And a lot of them hedge their future bets by simply deciding what they think is worth a buck and what isn't. Deciding what they think they really have to pay, and what they can get away without paying. It is no secret in this country that you don't have to pay your ambulance bill. Or your doctor bill. Or your hospital bill. And there are no consequences to be suffered for not doing so. Therefore, a lot of people just aren't going to pay it, regardless of ability.

[jmp6753]

I would love it if we charged for service up front!! How hilarious!! It would really make people think before calling 9-1-1. The only difference between us and a taxi is that we dont ask for money up front. For my agency it is $1235 for an ALS transport and $968 for BLS plus both are $22 per mile. A taxi is $20 and they want payment upon delivery.

[Dustdevil]

Heck, we wouldn't even need to require payment in advance. Taxi's don't. But if you get out of that cab without paying, the cops will absolutely hunt your arse down.

Maybe we could just hold all their personal belongings, including their wallet, until the bill was paid. Hey, your mechanic will hold your car until you pay. Why shouldn't we?

[dallasdame]

What about an EMS tax? Do cities/counties/states do this?

I'm oblivious.

[Amhet1]

EMS Tax = Subsidies paid thru property tax, car registration, fines, etc. The theory is that EMS should be self-funding thru reimbursement.... If ya beleive that, look at the state of private providers..... even the big privates have a hard time making it without some sort of support. All you have to do is look at the mess Galveston has, or how many fire departments are getting into the EMS business.

btw... what was the topic again?

[Chief1C]

In this region, there is actually an EMS Tax. Emergency Management Services. A LOT of people assume it's E... Medical ..S. I dunno what that funding goes toward, I assume EMA/CD.

[naturegirl]

I have often wondered why every ambulance seems determined to staff with only Paramedics. not to diss on the top spot, but paramedics where I work make $17 an hour, compared to my measly $12.75 as an EMT I, and 70% of the calls are NOT ALS. As I've had pointed out to me here on the forums many times, EMT B's are just trained first aid providers. Most would be more than capable of handling the 70% that doesn't require any sort of advanced interventions. That would save lots of money and plus, most EMT-P's I know are bored with the BLS stuff anyway. Lots consider it beneath their training, so now we can save a TON of money and still preserve EMS.