Title
Consideration of and action on an ordinance amending Appendix B (Schedule of Fees) for EMS services.
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Summary:
The City's EMS Billing consultant has recommended the implementation of certain fees associated with "disposable" items that are used during the provision of medical care by our EMS (ambulance) units. This is standard in the EMS industry, and is a specifically payable line item for Medicaid.
This change would incorporate three different line items in our Schedule of Fees: ALS Disposables, BLS Disposables, and Oxygen. ALS Disposables would be those items routinely used during the provision of "Advanced Life Support" services. BLS Disposables are the items routinely and regularly used during "Basic Life Support" EMS calls. The fee for oxygen would be assessed anytime that oxygen is administered to a patient (based on medical necessity).
Some examples of disposables are: alcohol preps, blood tubes, glucometer strips, IV supplies (catheters, dressings, fluids, tubing), lancets, EKG leads, etc. Not all of these disposables are utilized on every patient. Some patients require more items than others; however, it is not prudent to try to account for each and every item during emergency care. The proposed line item fees are considered an average cost of such items utilized during the associated types of responses.
Emergicon has recommended the following line item charges:
o ALS Disposables $375.00
o BLS Disposables $225.00
o Oxygen $125.00
This ordinance also incorporates the list of medications commonly administered by our paramedics and the associated charge for those medications. These were previously listed in an Exhibit "A" but it was recommended that these be incorporated into the same list of fees so they could be administered more efficiently in a single location.
Fiscal/Budgetary Impact:
Adoption of this ordinance and the amended schedule of fees should generate additional revenue of approximately $12,000-15,000 annually.
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