The Daily Herald recently featured an article detailing a hike in ambulance fees in Glen Ellyn. The village is set to boost its charges for non-resident emergency services and will now start billing for certain emergency calls that were previously handled without any cost.
Glen Ellyn’s trustees unanimously agreed on these fee adjustments, which are scheduled to come into effect on June 15, 2014. These changes aim to address rising operational expenses while maintaining high-quality emergency medical services.
“These fees are crucial in enabling the village to provide top-notch emergency medical assistance,†explained Assistant Village Manager Al Stonitsch. “Though they don’t generate profits, they help offset some of the costs involved.â€
For instance, in the fiscal year 2012-13, the village spent $1,055,372 on ambulance services but managed to collect only $744,544 in fees.
One of the new changes involves increasing the non-resident fees for two types of advanced life-support services by $103 and $219, respectively, bringing them up from their previous rates of $1,097 and $1,181. Resident fees and basic life-support charges will stay at their current levels.
Another change introduces two new fee categories for cases where patients are treated but not transported, and for citizen assistance calls. Currently, the village doesn’t charge for such incidents, even though they account for approximately 25% of all ambulance responses annually.
During their research of 18 similar communities and fire districts, officials discovered that many have already started charging for these "treat/no transport" calls. Naperville, at the lower end, charges $50 for residents and $100 for non-residents, whereas Hinsdale charges $450 and $650, respectively. The village has recommended fees of $100 and $150 for "treat/no transport" calls and $50 and $100 for citizen assistance calls.
By introducing fees for citizen assistance, officials hope to deter unnecessary calls that don’t actually require an ambulance. Fire Chief Jim Bodony mentioned that these calls often involve elderly individuals who might have fallen at home or in senior care facilities.
“We usually get called because someone has fallen and simply needs help getting back into bed,†he said. Village officials believe that adding a fee will discourage senior care facilities from relying on EMS as a substitute for proper staffing during off-hours.
“I personally support a higher non-resident rate for senior facilities that depend on paramedics as backup because they don’t want to hire additional staff,†stated Trustee Tim Elliott.
Initially, the board considered implementing a “three-strikes†policy, exempting patients from being charged unless they received citizen assistance four times or more. However, this proposal was later put on hold.
Finally, trustees approved a third change to incorporate an annual fee escalation clause that will increase by either 2% or the Consumer Price Index, whichever is lower. This adjustment will begin in June 2016.
Thanks, Dan!
A prior post discussed the financial aspects of the Glen Ellyn Volunteer Fire Department.
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