PORT ANGELES — A ride in a Port Angeles ambulance may cost more by summer’s end, but such a move should leave the pocket books of city residents untouched.
The Fire Department is proposing increasing ambulance transport costs 12 percent to 30 percent, depending upon the medical services provided en route to Olympic Medical Center.
For example, the cost of basic life support would change from $380 to $450, level 1 advanced life support from $500 to $600 and the cost per mile from $10 to $13.
But only insurance providers will be paying more, said Fire Chief Dan McKeen.
Any costs of ambulance transport not covered by insurance are paid for by the city of Port Angeles’ Medic 1 utility fee.
Medic 1 pays all ambulance transport costs for city residents who don’t have insurance, McKeen said.
But he said that fee will likely increase next year to cover additional costs that the proposed fee increases are intended to help offset.
“We’ll likely have some rate increase,” he said.
“The goal is to keep a rate increase at a minimum.”
The proposed ambulance fee increases were endorsed by the city Utility Advisory Committee on Tuesday and are expected to be voted upon by the City Council at its Aug. 4 meeting.
McKeen said ambulance fees need to be raised to offset disposable medical supply costs that OMC began charging the Fire Department late last year. Previously, he said, the hospital charged the cost of those ambulance supplies to patients.
That move has added about $25,000 in costs to the city’s ambulance transport budget, McKeen said.
Increasing ambulance fees would raise between $7,000 and $10,000 a year, he said.
The Medic 1 utility fee would be increased, upon City Council approval, to help make up the rest.
“We’re trying to look at other areas in the budget to try to save to make up that difference,” McKeen said.
“But it’s going to be tough.”
The Medic 1 fee is expected to raise $532,700 this year.
To offset additional supply costs, McKeen said the Fire Department placed a hiring freeze on a vacant paramedic position. That freeze will be lifted in October.
Currently, the Medic 1 utility fee costs a residence $52.12 a year and businesses $53.74 per unit.
The fees for assisted-living facilities, group and adult homes, schools and the Clallam County jail are determined on a case-by-case basis by how many emergency calls each facility has in a year.
The city also contributes to Medic 1, and will pay $16,326 this year.
How much it contributes is based upon how many emergency calls come from public areas, such as parks and streets.
McKeen said the Medic 1 fee doesn’t cover the cost of a ride in a private ambulance or the transport costs of non-city residents.
He said injured or ill people will ride in a private ambulance if they don’t need a paramedic while in transport.
The city provides the cheapest overall public ambulance service out of 9 fire districts and cities in Clallam, Jefferson and Kitsap counties, according to a staff memo to the Utility Advisory Committee.
The fees would still be slightly below average for the North Olympic Peninsula and Kitsap County if the proposed ambulance service fee increases are approved, according to the memo.
Medic 1 is expected to cover $68,000 in ambulance transport and aid costs this year.
The rest of the revenue raised from the fee pays for ambulances and their crew.
The Medic 1 fee has been in place since 1984.
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Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.
