§ 5.03.120. Ambulance service rates.  


Latest version.
  • (a) A franchisee may charge no more than the maximum ambulance service rates plus loaded mileage established in this section for year ending January 31, 2016, and adjusted annually thereafter by the consumer price index formula defined in this section, for the following regulated levels of service:

    (1)

    Emergency response ALS2, including medical supplies and services: one thousand fifty-three dollars and ten cents or maximum allowed by applicable federal law, whichever is higher;

    (2)

    Emergency response ALS1, including medical supplies and services: nine hundred sixty-one dollars and ninety-six cents or maximum allowed by applicable federal law, whichever is higher;

    (3)

    Emergency response BLS, including medical supplies and services: nine hundred fourteen dollars and twenty-two cents or maximum allowed by applicable federal law, whichever is higher;

    (4)

    Non-emergency response ALS, including medical supplies and services: eight hundred fifty-seven dollars and seventy-nine cents or maximum allowed by applicable federal law, whichever is higher;

    (5)

    Non-emergency response BLS, including medical supplies and services: eight hundred eighteen dollars and seventy-seven cents or maximum allowed by applicable federal law, whichever is higher;

    (6)

    Critical care transport, including medical supplies and services: one thousand one hundred forty-two dollars and seventy-eight cents or maximum allowed by applicable federal law, whichever is higher;

    (7)

    Loaded mileage: twenty-seven dollars and twenty-one cents.

    (b)

    Ambulance service rates charged by a franchisee will be subject to the following:

    (1)

    When there are transports involving two patients, the mileage charge shall be equally divided between the patients.

    (2)

    A franchisee shall not charge a patient, a third-party payer or the police or fire department for wait time as a result of or in proximity to any transport.

    (3)

    A franchisee may discount any ambulance service rate to the degree allowed by federal, state and local laws from the maximum ambulance service rates, provided that:

    (A)

    No cost shifting shall occur; and

    (B)

    The same discounted rate shall be charged to all patients or third-party payers.

    (4)

    A franchisee shall not capitate in any rate nor charge a uniform average per capita rate for any group of persons to whom it provides service.

    (c)

    Ambulance service rates shall be adjusted as follows:

    (1)

    The rates shall be adjusted annually on February 1 by the percentage of change, rounded to the nearest hundredth of a percent, in the annual average of the CPI-MCS between the most recent twelve-month period ending on December 31 as compared with the prior twelve-month period ending on December 31, with no rate adjustment when there has been no change in the CPI-MCS during that twelve-month period when compared with the prior twelve-month period; in no case; however, shall the adjustment in rates be greater than ten percent of the then current ambulance service rates unless the county commission, in its sole discretion, approves an adjustment pursuant to subsection (c)(2) of this section.

    (2)

    When an unforeseen economic circumstance has occurred during a twelve-month period for which the CPI-MCS is being calculated pursuant to subsection (c)(1) of this section, the county commission may approve a method for adjusting rates which is not based on changes in the CPI-MCS. In any year following a period when the adjustment to rates was based on some other method, rate adjustments shall again be based on changes in the CPI-MCS.

    (3)

    Annually on the first business day of February, the county manager shall publish and file with the county clerk for public inspection, a written record of the rates as adjusted pursuant to subsection (c) of this section.

    (Ord. 3328 § 1 (part), 2005: Ord. 2874 § 1 (part), 2003: Ord. 2502 § 1 (part), 2000)

(Ord. No. 4366, § 4, 2-2-2016)