HomeMy WebLinkAboutAmending Chapter 9 Entitled Ambulance Medical User fee and DedicatedORDINANCE No. 7414 -84
Passed by the Common Council of the City of South Bend, Indiana
December 3, rq 84
Attest: 4 /��`"`�` ° --J Cit y Clerk
IRENE K. GAMMON
of Common Council
Presented by me to the Mayor of the City of South Bend, Indiana
Approved and signed by
December 4, 1984
City Clerk
IRENE K. GAMMON
.,-? 111-7
BILL NO.
ORDINANCE NO. "7!1 J — g J
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 9, ARTICLE 3 OF
THE SOUTH BEND MUNICIPAL CODE, ENTITLED
AMBULANCE /MEDICAL USER FEE AND DEDICATED FUND
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE AND INTENT:
By Ordinances No. 6483 -78 and 6897 -81, the South Bend
Common Council has established fees which will off -set partially the
expense of providing ambulance and paramedic services to the
citizens of South Bend and a dedicated fund for such fees as
received. In conformity with the requirement of an annual review of
user fees, the Council finds that adjustment of current fees are
required in order to reflect more accurately the cost of providing
ambulance and paramedic services.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE SOUTH BEND COMON
COUNCIL, as follows:
SECTION 1. Chapter 9, Article 3 of the South Bend
Municipal Code, entitled Ambulance /Medical User Fee and Dedicated
Funds, shall be amended at Section 9 -16, to read as follows:
Section 9 -16. Ambulance /Medical User Fee established.
(a) The following user fee schedule shall be charged for
all ambulance /medical services provided by the City through its
paramedic branch of the Fire Department:
(1) Basic Fee .................. $55.- 90 ......... $75.00
(2) Mileage Fee (per patient miles,
minimum one mile) ....... .$l.- 25.- ........ $ 1.75
(3) Emergency Fee (red lights
and siren) ............... $1G.- GG ......... $15.00
(4) Oxygen Fee ................. $lG.- 4G......... $15.00
(5) EKG /Monitor ..... ............... .$25.00
(b) The above fees shall be charged per patient run
occurance; however, when ambulance /medical services are provided for
a patient using a private am u ance, the mileage fee shall not be
c arge ; and turtlier provided that when more than two mem ers o an
immediate tamiIy residing at the same address are transported per
incident tHe basic tee, mileage fee, and emergency ee shall only be
�i iiea ror two persons.
(c) The above fees shall take effect on Apr- i-1-1-, -- X9.8,1-
January 1, 1985. A1-1- - fe-es - b471-le& -from --Ap rr1- -} ; - 1991,- - through - August
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SUMMARY OF AMBULANCE PROGRAM
November 1978 through October 1984
Since November 1978 the City of South Bend has been charging
for ambulance service. A user fee of $35.00 was adopted by
Ordinance No. 6483 -78 effective November 1978. This ordinance
was amended by Ordinance No. 6897 -81, which established the
following user fees effective April 1981.
Basic Fee $55.00
Mileage Fee 1.25 per mile
Emergency Fee 10.00
Oxygen Fee 10.00
By Ordinance No. 6897 -81 a Dedicated Fund was established for
capital improvements within the Fire Department. The effective
date of this Fund was September 1, 1981.
Since November 1978 through October 1984, we have billed
$844,868.25, of which we have collected $547,308.92 (64.5 %).
A total of $182,359.51 (21.5 %) has been written off by the
Board of Public Works. As of October 1984 we have $115,199.82
outstanding Receivables (14 %). (1984 $64,033.84 - 1983 and prior
$51,165.98)
COMPARISON OF AMBULANCE RATES
THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF INDIANA
FOR THE YEAR 1984
FORT WAYNE E.M.S.
EMS Rates:
Emergency inside city $320.00
Emergency outside city 385.00
Non - emergency (call 24hrs ahead) $85.00
Non - emergency (without calling ahead $95.00
Milage $5.00 per mile
Effective date of the above for at least 6 mos.
Medicare pays 800 of the approval amount 20% consignment(guide lines)
Medicaid only pays $85.00.
TERRE HAUTE F.D. AND EMS AREA
EMS rates:
Are free for city and county
LaPORTE - MICHIGAN CITY /LaPORTE COUNTY
Ems Rates:
Emergency : $70.00 includes 45.00 basic & $25.00 response
Mobile Unit: $105.00, $7.50 oxygen
Milage Rate: $2.00 out side county $1.50 mile inside county
Effective date: January 1, 1984
Medicare pays 80% approval rate / 20% medicaid
Consignment: only on medicaid, medicare or if the patient is decease
GARY FIRE DEPARTMENT
Ems Rates:
Tranport to two hospitals ( no milage fee)
Inside countv $100.00
Outside county $110.00
Date Effective: August 1983
Medicare pays 80%
Consignments are handle by the hospitals
VALPARAISIO - PORTER COUNTY EMS
EMS rates:
$75.00 emergency (basic tranport)
$125.00 ALS (transport to hospital)
$125.00 Mobile Intensive care
$165.00 Total arrest
Milage: $2.00 per mile
Effective date: for the past three years
Medicare: 80% approve amount
Consignment: No,except for nursing home patients or Medicaid
BLOOMINGTON HOSPITAL
EMS rate:
Basic life $89.00
ALS $185.00
Milage: $3.50 per mile
Effective date: October 1, 1984
Medicare 800 of approve amount
Medicaid - full amount
Consignment: Yes
LAFAYETTE (St. Elizabeth Hospital)
EMS rate:
Emergency $75.00
Advance Life: (1) $100.00 (2) $125.00 (3) $150.00
Non - emergency: $50.00
Mileage: within city $3.50 per mi.
outside (county) $2.00 per mile.
Effective date: For the past three years.
Medicare 80% of all approve charges
Consignment: Yes
GOSHEN
GOSHEN F.D.
No charge (townships pay)
They have fund drives to raise money for ambo., etc.
PERU
DUKES'MEMORIAL
BLS ONLY
70.00 + equipment used
(milease included - EXCEPT 2.50 out of county)
subsidized by county
increases usually yearly.
per Helen Rich, nurse
ROCHESTER
FULTON CO. E.M.S.
Base 65.00
Out of county - 1.50 /mile + base
per Brenda Johnson
PLYMOUTH
PLYMOUTH E.M.S.
Base 65.00 (90.00 out-of county)
1.50 /mile
IV - charged by hospital
Same charges ALS or BLS
Last rate increase 2 yrs. ago
per Everett Fish
INDIANAPOLIS
INDIANAPOLIS WISHARD MEMOR. HOSP.
Base 118.00
5.00 /mile
10�./liter for oxygen
No difference ALS or BLS
Do not accept assignment.
Last rate increase Oct. 1984
INDIANAPOLIS
INDIANAPOLIS AID AMBO. SERVICE
BLS 85.00 + 35.00 Emergency
ALS 170.00
+ drugs, supplies, procedure
3.00 /mile
(Average ALS 255.00)
last increase January 1984
accept assignment 95%
per Nancy Herider
LAFAYETTE
ST. ELIZABETH HOSPITAL
Emergency BLS 75.00 + 3.50 /mile loaded
+ itemized charges
ALS 1 100.00 = Mon. & IV
ALS 2 125.00 = Mon. & IV + medication
ALS 3 150.00 = cardiac
+ itemized charges
$3.50 /mile
Accept assignment.
No increase in years.
Subsidized by County.
COLUMBUS
COLUMBUS F.D.
No charge. Out of county $50.00
Just went into paramedics - possible rate increase.
per Beth Molish, secretary
WARSAW
MULTI -TWP. E.M.S.
Current:
Basic 60.00 + 1.50 /mile
ALS 75.00 "
Proposed: January 1985
BLS 75.00 + 2.00 /mi
ALS 100.00 + 3.00 /mi
per Cindy Dobbins, Director
(2.50 /mi out of county)
MARION
MARION GENERAL HOSPITAL
BLS 105.00
ALS 200.00 + 3.00 /mile loaded
Transfers 65.00 + 3.00 /mile loaded
Last rate increase July 1, 1982
can't answer questions on billing -
hospital business off. does that.
per Steve Cruzan
EVANSVILLE
EVANSVILLE F.D.
b�
Basic 80.00
w /Paramedics + 50.00
Communication w /hospital + 50.00
Oxygen 15.00
Drugs - cost + 5%
2.00 /mile (minimum 1 mile)
Last rate increase 1983
per Kathy Ellerbrook
LAFAYETTE
LAFAYETTE HOME HOSPITAL
Basic 75.00 (ALS OR BLS)
+ equip., procedure, drugs
$3.50 /mile loaded
Accept assignment.
No rate increase in years.
per Darla Fall
MISHAWAKA. E.M.S.
MISHAWAKA
$55 flat rate
(Possible increase to $85 in 1985)
GUISINGER'S
$45.00 base
1.75 per mile
10.00 emergency
5.00 02
PORTAGE (City Of)
$60
LAKE STATION (City Of)
E:
Free to city residents
$45 to residents outside city limits
RICHMOND
AID AMBULANCE CO.
$85 BLS +3.00 loaded mi.
$140 ALS +3.00 loaded mi.
$10 oxygen
$30 EKG
$35 emergency
Itemize other charges
Effective 1/1/83
Accepts assignment for ALS only
MYERS AMBULANCE
GREENWOOD
ALS - $150 base
$20 emergency
$25 IV
$25 EKG
$20 02
$3 per mile
LIFE
SOUTH BEND
$60 base
$15 emergency
$2 per mile
$20 02 1/4 tank
ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT
SOUTH BEND
$65 base
$2 per mile
$5 emergency
$15 02 per 1/4 tank
McGANN'S
SOUTH BEND
$75 base ($67.50)
$2 per mile
$15 emergency ($10.00)
$15 02 ($10.00)
$25 EKG ($25)
BLS - $85 base
$3 per mile
Monitor A - EKG /IV - $75
Monitor B - $150
KOKOMO
KOKOMO FIRE DEPT.
Free to city residents only
ELKHART
ELKHART FIRE DEPT.
Free to city residents.
$115 to residents outside of city limits.
Rates effective 1980.
Medicare pays full amt.
Accepts assignment.
They do no paperwork or insurance forms.
ANDERSON
ANDERSON FIRE DEPT.
Free to city residents
$100 non - residents
Rates effective 12/82
Accepts assignment but bills for the rest
EAST CHICAGO
EAST CHICAGO E.M.S.
Free - city limits only
MERRIVILLE
MEP.RIVILLE E.M.S.
$45 Merriville and Ross Twp.
$65 outside of those areas
Rates effective 1979
Accepts assignment and does rebill only if they haven't met deductible.
MUNCIE
DELAWARE CO. E.M.S.
$65 BLS
$100 ALS - Itemize other charges
Effective 1983
Accepts assignment
SOUTH BEND FIRE DEPARTMENT
701 W. Sample Street
South Bend, Indiana 46621
Timothy J. Brassell
Fire Chief
CITY ®f SOUTH BEND
ROGER O. PARENT, Mayor
COUNTY -CITY BUILDING
South Bend Common Council
County -City Building
South Bend, IN 46601
Dear Council Members:
SOUTH BEND, INDIANA 46601
November 13, 1984
2191284 -9255
The Fire Department proposes to amend the 1981 "Ambulance Program
Ordinance" which regulates fees charged for Fire Department
ambulance services.
The rationale for amending the fee schedule is based on the cost
to provide this service compared to income derived from it. The
chief factor in determining a new rate schedule was, and is, the
prevailing rates charged by other providers both public and private,
in our area and state wide.
The overriding consideration in establishing this new fee shedule
is the charges allowed and payable by health insurance policies,
Medicare and Medicaid, for ambulance services. It is the intention
of this proposed fee increase to take advantage of the maximum
allowable insurance coverage while minimizing any additional out
of pocket expenses to the citizens.
To this end we have itemized the charges of various levels of
service and treatment. Following is a breakdown of present fees
charged compared to the proposed fee schedule.
Present
Basic Fee
Mileage Fee
(per pt. miles)
Oxygen Fee
Emergency Fee
(red lights & siren)
Proposed
$55.00 Basic Fee
1.25 Mileage Fee
(min. 1 mile)
10.00 Oxygen Fee
10.00 Emergency Fee
(red lights &
EKG /Monitor
$75.00
1.75
15.00
15.00
siren)
25.00
South Bend Common Council
November 13, 1984
Page Two
We also recommend that a NON- TRANSPORT USER FEE be adopted. This
fee would be charged when our medic units respond to meet a private
ambulance with a critical patient. This fee would be the
same as above with the exception that the mileage fee and oxygen
fee would not be charged due to the fact that the private ambulance
transported the patient and uses their oxygen.
We also recommend that when more,than two (2) members of a family
are transported to the hospital per incident, that we bill a maxi-
mum of two.
We recommend that the proposed increases be effective January 1,
1985.
We will be discussing this matter further with you at the informal
Council session or in committee if you so desire.
Sincerely,
Timot y /ef rassell
Fire Ch
TJ B /vm
Attach: (4)
Ordinance No. 6483 -78 (original)
Ordinance No. 6897 -81 (amended)
Summary of Ambulance Procedures
Comparison of Ambulance Rates
throughout State of Indiana
(f ammiUrr Report
'3o toe Tom= Tounril of t4e tlitg of #3out4 leuD:
Your Committee OF THE WHOLE
to whom was referred
137 -84 A BILL AMENDING CHAPTER 9, ARTICLE 3 OF THE SOUTH BEND MUNICIPAL
CODE, ENTITLED AMBULANCE /MEDICAL USER FEE AND DEDICATED FUND.
Respectfully report that they have examined the matter and that in their opinion THIS BILL SHOULD BE RECOMMENDED
TO THE COUNCIL FAVORABLEs AS AMENDED:
CHANGE EMERGENCY FEE FROM $50 TO $15
Joseph T. Serge
Chairman
FREE PRESS PUBLISHING CO.