Cash-strapped organization would have patients’ insurance companies billed.
By: Jennifer Potash
The Princeton Borough Council gave its support Tuesday to the Princeton First Aid & Rescue Squad’s plan to bill patients for service but did not reach a consensus on the squad’s request for three years of guaranteed funding for the day crew operations.
The first aid squad, citing growing operating costs and declining support in donated funds, is strongly considering moving from a free service to a fee-for-service organization.
The squad has spent nearly two years investigating the question, according to squad Chief Greg Paulson. Private health insurance, as well as government-funded programs such as Medicare, usually pay for ambulance services, he said.
"It’s a source of revenue which we’re entitled to but have never tapped," Chief Paulson said.
The squad is also requesting that the Borough Council and the Princeton Township Committee freeze funding of the day crew, the only paid squad members, at the current levels for a minimum of three years.
The two municipalities currently provide the squad with $150,000 in annual funding for two paid emergency medical technicians and eventually the fee-for-service program could reduce the need for municipal support. The squad’s roughly $500,000 yearly budget is made up of donations, grants and other bequests as well as municipal support.
Chief Paulson said the squad formed "educated guesses" about how much revenue the squad would receive from the bills for service, but would not want to jeopardize its operations if there is a shortfall in another funding category.
Borough Councilman Roger Martindell said he supports the squad’s efforts to collect untapped revenue, but would support a year’s worth of municipal funding, not three years.
Alternatively, the borough could provide support in the form of a loan and after the second year the squad could seek an extension of the terms, suggested Councilman David Goldfarb.
Councilwoman Wendy Benchley said three years might be a minimum period and to truly gauge the effect of the change could take five years.
"Everything might go well in the second year but in the third year it could all fall apart," such as grants drying up, Ms. Benchley said.
Council President Mildred Trotman said a successful strategy is to make a funding request every year to the council.
"Then you’ll probably get what you want," she said.
Before the squad makes a decision, representatives will meet with both Princeton governing bodies as well as senior-citizen groups and other community organizations, Chief Paulson said.
The charge would be a flat fee somewhere in the range of $400 to $500, Chief Paulson said, stressing that no one who needs an ambulance would be refused service due to an inability to pay. A charity-care provision would be included for patients who lack health insurance or the means to pay for the service. The squad would likely get the insurance information from the hospital, Chief Paulson said.
The squad is not legally permitted to inquire about insurance until after the patient arrives at the hospital, he said. A third-party billing service, contracted by the squad, would submit the bill to the patient’s insurance company.

