LAWRENCE: Township hikes ambulance fees

By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
   Seeking to generate additional revenue, an ordinance that increases the fees charged by the Lawrence Township Emergency Medical Services — and that also implements new fees — has been introduced by Township Council.
   The council introduced the ordinance, which increases the fees for transporting people to a hospital and for the use of oxygen, last week. A public hearing is set for the council’s Tuesday night meeting, which begins at 6:30 p.m. at the Municipal Building.
   Through a combination of balance billing — which means a victim would be charged for the full cost of an ambulance trip to the hospital — plus new or increased fees, the proposed ordinance would generate an additional $100,000 to $125,000, Municipal Manager Richard Krawczun said.
   ”We need to raise the fees to offset the costs of providing emergency medical services,” Mr. Krawczun said.
   The proposed ordinance would raise the cost of an ambulance trip to the hospital from $675 to $785, plus an increase in the per-mile fee from $10 per mile to $15 per mile.
   If a patient needs oxygen, it will cost $70, up from the current fee of $60. It also implements a new fee of $25 for the use of a cervical collar, which is used if a patient’s neck must be immobilized to prevent further injury.
   The proposed ordinance also would require all victims — residents and non-residents — to fully reimburse Lawrence Township for the use of an ambulance, unless the victim certifies that he or she does not have medical insurance coverage that would pay for the ambulance transportation service. In that case, the fee would be waived.
   Right now, only non-residents are required to fully reimburse the township for the cost of an ambulance trip through “balance billing.” This means they are sent a bill for the difference between the fee charged by Lawrence Township and the amount of money paid by their health insurance company.
   The proposed ordinance would expand the “full reimbursement” provision to include township residents. Currently, the township accepts the amount of money offered by the resident’s health insurance company and does not bill the resident for the rest of the cost.
   Acknowledging the change in the ordinance, Mr. Krawczun said Lawrence Township would “work with residents on an as-needed basis for any particular problem” with balance billing.
   Senior citizens who are enrolled in Medicare and persons who receive Medicaid coverage would be billed differently, Mr. Krawczun said. Persons who have Medicaid, which is made available to persons who meet financial standards, would not be subject to balance billing.
   Medicare recipients, however, would have to pay a portion of the bill, he said. Senior citizens who have Medicare as their sole source of health insurance would pay $78. But senior citizens who have signed up for a secondary health insurance plan — in addition to Medicare — would be billed from zero to $30, depending on the company, Mr. Krawczun said.
   Also, there are new fees in the proposed ordinance that would be charged to rescue a victim who is trapped — whether it is in a motor vehicle or a confined space, such as a trench that has collapsed. Victims who need to be plucked from floodwaters or a swiftly moving stream also would be charged.
   The fee varies, depending on the type of rescue. If the victim needs to be rescued from a car, the cost is $950. But if the rescue effort requires the use of power tools, the charge is $1,950. And if it requires a specialized, technical rescue — from floodwaters or fast-moving waters, a trench or a confined space — the fee is $2,800.
    If the victim has to be rescued from a motor vehicle accident — whether or not power tools are used — the victim’s car insurance policy would be billed by Lawrence Township to cover the cost, Mr. Krawczun said.