Resident believes he was double-billed due to tax subsidies
by Jane Meggitt, Special Writer
MILLSTONE — An emergency call went out from the home of township residents Evan and Dawn Maltz on June 4.
Mrs. Maltz experienced a medical issue and required an ambulance. She was picked up by emergency medical technicians that had been to the home on a previous call, and was transported via ambulance to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton.
Though his wife recovered, Mr. Maltz was surprised to receive a bill dated Oct. 22 from neighboring Monroe Township in the amount of $1,041 for the ambulance ride.
”In my situation, the same two EMTs that showed up for Millstone (first aid) arrived and I had absolutely no reason to think I would be charged this unreasonable fee,” said Mr. Maltz, a former Millstone mayor. “If I would have been told what the fee would be I would have refused their service, but was never given the chance.”
A portion of property owner’s taxes in the township are used to subsidize the first aid squad.
He said that receiving this bill means that Millstone residents are being double billed, as its rescue squad has no members left to respond, but still is subsidized by tax dollars.
”No one has been notified in Millstone that they will be charged $1,000 in order for a first aid squad to respond to a call,” he said.
He said it would make sense for Millstone Township to pay the Monroe fee on behalf of its residents who pay the township for first aid service, but do not receive it.
Millstone Township Volunteer First Aid Squad president Melina Maritato said the squad receives the vast majority of funding through private donations, though the township does provide an annual stipend and pays for ambulance fuel.
”(The township) contribution works out to be about $50 per call,” Ms. Maritato said. “The MTFAS are all volunteers. We answer over 80 percent of our daytime calls and nearly 100 percent of our evening calls.
”It is a fact that our squad, like most squads, does not have enough active members and we are always trying to recruit new volunteers,” she added.
She further noted that the MTFAS has a mutual aid back-up system, but that if necessary occasionally paid squads are called in.
Ms. Maritato explained that when someone dials 911, the closest squad receives an emergency tone on its dispatch equipment.
”If nobody responds within 10 minutes the next closest squad is toned out,” Ms. Maritato said. “This is called mutual aid and it is free emergency care and transport. However in our township, we have paid firefighters who are sitting in the firehouse and will respond to an EMT call.
”Officially, however, they are not paid to transport patients. If the call goes mutual aid, they will sometimes short-circuit the chain of mutual aid and call in a paid neighboring squad.”
She said that means the patient and their family must pay, noting that during the day, most of the MTVFAS members have some type of paying job, either part- or full-time.
”Most of us have some flexibility and pick up some daytime hours but unfortunately sometimes during the day no one may be available to answer the call. This is a direct consequence of having too few members,” she said.
Mr. Maltz also believes that it would make sense for Millstone to pass an ordinance, which would allow the township to bill for fire services utilized outside the township.
He pointed out that there are many occasions when Millstone responds to auto accidents on Route 33 in Monroe.
Monroe Township business administrator Wayne Hamilton said that Monroe residents are not charged “balance billing” or the amount left after insurance payment is received.
”This is because they are already subsidizing the service as a part of their property taxes. When our ambulance is requested for an out-of-town call as a result of the mutual aid system, the full amount of the bill is due to the Township of Monroe,” Mr. Hamilton explained, adding that there is a township ordinance governing this policy.
”Almost all municipal ambulance service agencies bill in this manner. I believe Millstone Volunteer First Aid Squad is all-volunteer and does not bill for services,” he added.
Mr. Maltz said that he has spoken to his insurance agent, who said that the company, Aetna, offered to pay a portion of the ambulance bill, but Monroe informed them that they did not participate as an in-network provider and fused the insurance payment.
Mr. Maltz then contacted Millstone Deputy Mayor Michael Kuczinski about the situation.
In an email to Mr. Maltz, Deputy Mayor Kuczinski wrote that he contacted Mr. Hamilton, the Monroe business administrator, and was told that the charge stands and that the administrator does not have the legal authority to change what is already in the ordinance.
”The courtesy — mutual aid agreement — is only extended to the volunteer squads. This was the paid service,” Deputy Mayor Kuczinski said.
Mr. Maltz said he plans to bring the issue up at a future Township Committee meeting.

