Copyright 2006 THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS
By HERB BOOTH
The Dallas Morning News (Texas)
A fall from her horse broke a bone in Cheri Hibbs’ face in October 2004.
But it’s the bill for the 15-mile Midlothian ambulance ride that’s still causing her pain.
Midlothian charged Mrs. Hibbs, who lives in Cedar Hill with her husband, Doug, $2,237.60 to go to the hospital in Waxahachie. Other nearby cities charge $450 to $800 for a similar trip.
“It doesn’t seem like anyone has any jurisdiction over what ambulances charge,” said Mrs. Hibbs, who broke her orbital bone - which is around the eye - when she was thrown from her horse, Sir Little Joe. “You have no idea what something like this is going to cost you. I think it’s not only unfair to me, but a lot of other people needing an ambulance.”
Mrs. Hibbs later sold the horse — which she had boarded in Ovilla — but she said her experience has taught her an unforgettable lesson.
“It’s just that the next time I get hurt, I’m going to tell my friends to throw me in the back of a truck and drive me to the hospital.”
Midlothian officials and the company it hired to handle its ambulance billing — Houston-based Intermedix Inc. — say they’re charging only what is “reasonable and customary” in the industry.
That fee, though, doesn’t compare with cities that surround Midlothian. Cedar Hill, DeSoto, Duncanville, Ennis, Lancaster, Red Oak and Waxahachie charge $450 to $800 for everything from a basic rate to a service that includes advanced life-support measures and materials. None of those cities use Intermedix.
Other Intermedix cities’ rates are comparable to Midlothian’s. In Sherman, Denton and Euless, for example, an ambulance ride could eclipse the $2,000 mark.
Jeremy Mattern, CEO for Intermedix, said cities that have fewer ambulance calls pay a premium to provide service to their residents. He said one central Florida city that Intermedix serves only charges $109 because that’s all it has to charge to recover its costs.
The Journal of Emergency Medical Services compiled a 2005 study that quizzed the 200 most populous cities nationwide and showed the average charge for an ambulance ride provided by a nongovernmental entity was $822. That ride would include advanced life-support measures and materials, too.
Midlothian Mayor Boyce Whatley said the lower rates in other cities simply mean they are subsidizing more of their EMS costs.
“They’re missing out on a lot of revenue,” said Mr. Whatley, adding that his city has very few ambulance-related complaints. “This is the fairest way to bill people. If someone never uses the ambulance, why should they pay for it?”
Mr. and Mrs. Hibbs aren’t the only people to voice concerns, though.
Mike Donahoo, a firefighter and paramedic in DeSoto for 17 years, lives in an unincorporated part of Ellis County serviced by Midlothian EMS. He said a couple of years ago his family had an emergency and used Midlothian EMS.
“My insurance paid $500, and they charged me $2,300,” Mr. Donahoo said of Intermedix. “I just trashed it, but then Intermedix called me and they wanted the money.”
Mr. Donahoo said he attended a Midlothian council meeting to air his concerns but never paid the entire tab.
“I just ignored the bill and nothing has happened,” Mr. Donahoo said. “But I just think about most people, especially the elderly, who just pay their bills without question. It’s just not right.”
DeSoto Fire Chief Fred Hart said cities subsidize EMS and ambulance service because the cost would be too high for residents to use if they didn’t.
“Cities will never make money at it, or even break even,” Chief Hart said.
Mr. Hibbs said he used public records to discover that Midlothian collects only about 29 percent of its annual charges on ambulances. That percentage comes to about $650 of the family’s bill - much less than what their insurance company eventually paid.
Still, Mr. Hibbs is not completely ignoring Intermedix. He said he is paying about $25 per month until the bill is paid.
“Look, I’m not going to not pay my bill, because I value my credit rating,” Mr. Hibbs said.
But he said he would never buy Midlothian’s argument about its ambulance fees.
“They say it’s reasonable, but my insurance company only paid $947 and told me that was above what the average is for this area,” he said. “I want them to leave me alone. I think I’ve paid more than my fair share.”