Submitted By
Fire Chief Tom Ebsen
Reviewed By
LKS
Agenda Item Title
Title
First Reading of an Ordinance Amending Chapter 4 ("Ambulances"), Article 1 ("Ambulance Regulations"), Section 4-1-6 ("Village Ambulance Services;Fees") of the Oak Park Village Code
End
Overview
Overview
Ambulance fees were last amended in 2015 to reflect comparable rates being charged in the Chicago-metro area. In the last two years many municipal fire departments have moved to a flat-fee instead of splitting the fee into basic or advanced life support, depending upon the level of service provided. Our current fees are based upon resident/non-resident, and BLS or ALS, and range from $600 to $1150. Staff is recommending a flat-fee of $1400 for residents and $1800 for non-residents.
Body
Staff Recommendation
This is a First Reading only.
Fiscal Impact
It is anticipated that an increase to the flat fee amounts noted above will generate an additional $360,000 for ambulance service revenues in the General Fund.
Background
Ambulance billing, like medical billing in general, is undergoing modifications in the current marketplace of medical insurance. In 2016, the Naperville Fire Department went to a flat-fee of $1800 for emergency medical services. Their justification was that they, like emergency rooms in a hospital, are meeting emergency medical needs with a full array of services. Whether the need of the patient is minor (sprained ankle) or major (full cardiac arrest), the provider has prepared and expended resources to meet all needs. Since going to this fee-model, Naperville and many other Chicago area ambulance ALS providers, have been successful processing these claims with insurance providers. The private ambulance companies have been using a flat-fee structure for many years.
The Oak Park Fire Department responds to all emergency medical calls with the full capability of providing advanced life support (ALS). All of our paramedics, equipment, and apparatus respond with ALS functionality. The range of flat-fees for ambulance service by other Chicago-metro area fire departments that have gone to this model range from $1000 - $2500. Based upon our research with our ambulance billing provider, Andres Medical Billing (AMB), the Fire Department is recommending a flat ambulance fee of $1400 for residents and $1800 for non-residents. Our other fees, such as those for citizen assists and milage will remain as is.
Alternatives
The Village Board could ask for more information to be recviewed at the Second Reading.
Previous Board Action
N/A
Citizen Advisory Commission Action
N/A
Anticipated Future Actions/Commitments
N/A
Intergovernmental Cooperation Opportunities
N/A
Performance Management (MAP) Alignment
N/A