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Home My WebLink AboutAmend Chapter 9, Article 3, Entitled Ambulance/Medical User fee and Dedicated FundORDINANCE No. 4 Passed by the Common Council of the Ciry of Sout/t Bend, Indiana July 8, 2002 Attest: Attest: Presented by me to the Mayor of the Ciry of South Bend, Indiana July 10 20 02 City Clerk President of Common Councit Ciry Clerk Approved and signed by me Ju11y 11 • 20 02 /~'C,e-t-t~ ° Mayor ORDINANCE NO. l 3 ~ ~ " 4 AN ORDINANCE OF THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, 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 since 1978 the South Bend Common Council has established fees to help offset in part the expense to the City of South Bend providing ambulance and pazamedic services to the citizens of South Bend, and the cost of repairs to and/or purchase of necessary ambulancelPazamedic equipment, other Fire Department equipment, and to pay for the cost of needed repair and remodeling of existing fire stations, or the building of new fire stations and the creation and continuation of a dedicated fund for the deposit of such fees as received Furthermore, §4531 of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 also requires the establishment of ambulance fee schedules as a prerequisite to recovery for ambulance services for Medicare patients. In conformity with the requirement of an annual review of user fees, the Council finds that adjustment of current fees is required in order to reflect more accurately the cost of providing ambulance and pazamedic services. follows: NOW, THIItEFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE SOUTH BEND COMMON COUNCIL as Section 1. Chapter 9, Article 3 of the South Bend Municipal Code, entitled Ambulance/MedicalUwr 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 chazged for all ambulance~medical services provided by the City through its paramedic branch of the Fire Department: Resident Non Resident f~~ ~-2aE}ee (1) Basic Life Support 200.00 275.00 (2) Basic Life Support-Emergency 300.00 375.00 (3) Advanced Life Support X386:86 300.00 375.00 (4) Advanced Life Support $400.00 75.00 Emergency (5) Advanced Life Support -2 475.00 550.00 (~~ Mileage ~"CC. Ba$ic (per patient miles, $~$6 5.47 5.47 minimum one (1) mile) (7) Mileage. Rural per paCient miles, 8.21 8.21 minimum one (1) mile) (8) Non-Transport Medical Calls x-'}5:66 75.00 125.00 (b) The above fees shall be chazged per patient run occurrence; however, when ambulance/medical services aze provided for a patient using a private ambulance, the mileage fee shall not be chazged; and further provided that when more than two members of an immediate family residing at the same address are transported per incident, the basic fee, mileage fee, and emergency fee shall only be billed for two persons. fc) Non-resident is defined as a person whose primary residence at the time of the service is outside the corporate boundaries of the Citv of South Bend. Indiana. (d) Basic Life Sunnort means care given at the scene of an accident or illness or during the transport by an Emergency Medical Technician to minimize the patient's discomfort and prevent further injury (e) Advanced Life Support means Gaze given at the scene of an accident or illness or during the transport by a Pazamedic or Advanced Emergency Medical Technician to minimize the patient's discomfort and prevent further injuyy. ~ Advance Life Support -2 means transportation by ground ambulance vehicle and either the administration of least three (3) medications or the provision of one of the following: (1) Manual defibrillation/cazdioversion: ~2) Endotracheal intubation: and ~3) Central venous line. (f?) Non-Transport Medical Calls means a response to a medical emergency call by ambulance vehicle and the administration of ALS skills upon or medication gaven to a patient who then refuses transport to the hospital, fll) Mileage. Rural. shall apply to vehicle runs made to azeas in zones or zip codes designated as rural by Medicare and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in its Medicaze re ations U The above fees shall take effect on ~arie~992-August 1.2002. Section II. This Ordinance shall be in full force and effect from and after its passage by the Common Council and approval by the Mayor and legal publications. ~~ C~ Member of the Common Council 1 st READING 6" l'~~ ~~- PUBLIC HEARING ~-~-OL 3 rd READING ~ tea'-aL NOT APPROVED REFERRED PASSER ~ -g' OZ--~ I''ited to Clerk's ~ff6ee LOp~3TfA J, t3U0F9 C!i'Y CL&RSt, ~ EtElID, €'S. COMMITTEE REPORT TO THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND: Your Committee of the Whole, to whom was referred: BILL NO. 47-02 A BILL OF THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, 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 is being recommended to the full Council with a favorable recommendation. Karl King Chairman 701 ~ SAMPLE $TTtEET $OUI'H BEND, INDIANA 46601-2891 CITY OF SOUTH BEND STEPHEN J. LUECKE, MAYOR SOUTH BEND FIRE DEPARTMENT LUTHER,J. TAYLOR FIRE CHIEF June 18, 2002 Common Council Roland Kelly, President County City Building South Bend, Indiana 46601 Dear Roland Kelly: PHONE 574/ 235-9255 FAx 574/235-9305 TDD 574/ 235-5567 The attached ordinance amends our current ordinance #8860-97 that was adopted by the South Bend Common Council on December 12, 1997 for user fees for ambulance service provided by the South Bend Fire Department. The proposed rates reflect the increased cost of providing service to the citizens of South Bend. Over the last four years the cost of providing service has risen due to the increases in our Collective Bargaining Agreement and in cost for supplies and equipment. The proposed rates also will be establish user fees that will conform with the new Medicare guidelines that were established by the Balanced Budget Act of 1997. The new Medicare guidelines establish a schedule for user fees and requires mandatory assignment for services provided effective April 1, 2002. The proposed rates include a new fee for emergency responses, mileage for rural areas, and ALS-2 services. These new changes are authorized by Medicare under the new user fee schedule. We have also eliminated the nonresident fee, but have established user fees which will reflect the nonresident fees. Presently the nonresident fee is not recognized by Medicare or insurance carriers. As in the past, the council voiced their concern as it relates to our fee impact on our senior citizens. The proposed fee structure will be minimal due to the mandatory assignment required by Medicare. Those users covered by Medicare will be responsible for 20% of the approved fee established by Medicare. Myself and A/C Rick Switalski, will be available at Council Caucus to review the proposed increase and present the bill during council. In closing we feel the adjustment in our current fees are necessary to reflect the cost of providing the service and due to the required changes by Medicare We ask that the council to look favorable to our request for increase in user fees for ambulance service for the South Bend Fire Department. ,,,_„r. Sincerely, ~~ ~~ Luther Taylor Fire Chief 'fled in Clerk's ®ffBc~ -.~ ~.~~~~ ~ ~ 2002 LORI3ITA J. t3llt?A CITY CLERK, EL>. I1LfJ~, I?~. Robert X. Quinn III HOWARD W. BUCHANON RICHARD D. SWITAISKI RANDY MAGDALINSIQ ASST. CHIEF OPERATIONS ASST. CHIEF FIRE PREVENTION ASSIST. CHIEF SERVICES ASST. CHIEF ~$