By JOHN MUNFORD
jmunford@TheCitizenNews.com

Peachtree City’s EMS transport fees were increased significantly last week by council to address several financial concerns.

The new fee structure, which takes effect October 1, raises the base fee for an emergency transport to $300 — a 71 percent hike.

The last time council substantially changed the fees was 1991. The current base rate of $175 per transport charged by the Peachtree City Fire and Rescue Department is the lowest among five area county EMS departments, according to a survey conducted by the city.

The dramatic increase was needed since the fees haven’t changed in almost 10 years, said city manager Jim Basinger.
“The fees we collect do not come close to paying for the services that are provided,” Basinger said, adding that the ambulance service’s goal is not to make a profit. “We’re just trying to recoup some of it.”

The department does not charge patients who are not transported.

The cost of drugs the ambulances are stocked with has also increased since 1991, Basinger said. Currently, patients are charged a flat fee of $20 for all drugs administered during an emergency transport, regardless of how many different medications are used.

Under the new fee structure, patients will be charged on an itemized basis for drugs used during the trip, with a price range that runs from free to $45 per drug.

The city is also having to increase its payroll since the volunteer force has dwindled drastically in recent years, Basinger said.

Basinger said the possibility of adding on six new Emergency Medical Technicians this year to replace the dwindling volunteer force would also prove costly. He added that the cost of the drugs have increased dramatically over the years.

“From staff’s perspective, the city cannot continue to afford to provide the service at this rate,” Basinger said.

Basinger said the city estimates that 60 percent of its EMS fees are paid by insurance companies, Medicare and Medicaid. The remainder of the charges are paid by the patients themselves.
The city does have procedures to work out payments with individuals who cannot pay in full, Basinger added.

Councilman Dan Tennant said he would support a phase-in of the increases over three or four years. But the final motion passed by council called for the fee schedule to be adopted in full this year.

Tennant was the only council member who opposed the motion.