By Todd Glasscock
Mineral Wells Index
MINERAL WELLS, Texas — On Tuesday, Mineral Wells City Council set new rates for ambulance service, increasing fees for the first time in seven years.
Fire Chief Mike Pool recommended council consider raising fees, saying the EMS department’s medical billing service, Emergicon, suggested an increase because Mineral Wells’ current rates are well below rates in comparable cities. A Careflight transport in Cleburne, for instance, is $872, while an ambulance transport in Stephenville is $787.
After the department did further research, they found the average basic transport cost was $773, Pool said.
He also said either insurance, Medicare or Medicaid covers, or partially covers, most calls in Mineral Wells.
By a 5-0 vote, with one abstention, council approved a rate increase for all ambulance services, pushing basic transport fees up by about 25 percent, from $600 to $750.
Advance life support fees jump approximately 26 percent to 30 percent, depending on the level of service provided. Level 1 advanced life support will increase to $850 from $650 and level 2 to $950 from $750.
These rates will go into effect Oct. 1.
Place 2 Council Member Brian Reagan abstained from the vote, basing his abstention on a recommended $150 charge for those treated by EMS but not transported, saying, “I understand we can’t run for nothing, but I also don’t want $150 to be prohibitive to people who have genuine medical needs that might not call because they are afraid of the bill.”
Before Tuesday’s vote there was no charge for treat but no transport, and Reagan recommended a $100 fee might prove less prohibitive.
“I’m not opposed to anything,” Pool said. “That’s purely a suggestion.”
Pool said the recommended rate is standard across the board, but it was up to the council to decide the actual charge.
While Medicare or Medicaid covers most treat no transport calls, not all calls are covered, Pool said. Some people call out EMS to receive medical treatment, instead of going to a doctor.
This particular charge might “discourage people from using us as being their doctors,” he said. “We do put ourselves out there when we go to someone’s house and they want to use us for their doctor. We need to let a doctor see them when we’re through, if we can. That’s the way it’s supposed to work.”
Ward 3 Council member John Upham said the proposed rate would help pay for other services where the rates, including the new transport fees, are below average.
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©2015 the Mineral Wells Index (Mineral Wells, Texas)