MOBILE, Ala. — Two ambulance companies are pushing back against a competitor’s bid to enter the Mobile ambulance service market.
Acadian Ambulance is seeking city council approval to begin transporting patients within the city limits. Mobile’s basic life support 911 calls are currently handled on a rotating basis by Medevac Alabama and Newman’s Ambulance, NBC 15 reported.
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During a public hearing, several speakers cited past failed attempts to add more competition. A representative from Global Medical Response, parent company of AMR and Lifeguard Ambulance, told council members the company twice tried to operate in Mobile but was unsuccessful both times.
“Both AMR and Lifeguard served the city for nearly two decades combined,” Global Medical Response Regional Director Joshua Spencer said. “Both times we exited the market because the introduction of a third provider was not fiscally sustainable to operate three ambulance services.”
Medevac and Newman’s say many of the 911 calls they handle involve uninsured patients, leaving the companies unpaid for those transports.
“There’s abuse of the system, abuse of the 911 system as a whole, across the board,” Newman’s Business Development Manager Mike Sandell said.
Acadian Ambulance says three Mobile hospitals have endorsed its plan to help reduce patient transfer delays. The Louisiana-based company has leased a building in the city, secured state certification for four ambulances, and is now seeking a certificate of public convenience and necessity from the city council.
Acadian also plans to bid on an upcoming city request for proposals to contract a single provider for BLS 911 response, a first for Mobile. The winning ambulance company would receive city funding in an amount yet to be determined.
The request for proposals will be released within the next few weeks, and the city council could vote on Acadian’s operating request as soon as next week.
