By Tom Henderson
Corvallis Gazette-Times
CORVALLIS, Ore. 鈥� The cost of basic life support during an ambulance ride in Corvallis will be $350 more expensive July 1 鈥� shooting it up to $2,100.
Corvallis City Council members approved the ambulance rate hike their Monday, June 16 meeting.
鈥淚 hate doing this,鈥� Councilor Charlyn Ellis told Fire Chief Ben Janes when he put the increase before the council.
鈥淚 feel like we鈥檙e in some sort of constant upward spiral,鈥� Ellis said. 鈥淚 wish there were a way to break it.
鈥淵ou have assured me in the past that there are ways for low-income people to make adjustments to that. I know we have to approve it, but I hate constantly raising our rates for emergency services.鈥�
Basic and advanced life support during an ambulance ride will both increase roughly 20%, or by $350. That brings the cost of advanced life support in an ambulance to an average of $2,250.
Wait time (while an ambulance waits for a patient) will increase by 13%, or $25, for a total of $225 per half-hour.
Mileage costs will increase by 23%, or $6 to $32, based on the miles transporting a patient.
Janes told councilors Corvallis鈥� rates are far behind comparable fire services in Albany, Bend, Dallas, Eugene, Jefferson and Keizer. The Albany City Council hiked local ambulance rates by more than 30% in December. Ambulance rides in Albany cost between $1,650 and $2,296.
Taking an ambulance is pricey for a reason, Janes told councilors.
鈥淲e have dual-role firefighters/paramedics who make slightly more than in a single-role EMT program, but we need them to be firefighters because we lack firefighters,鈥� Janes said.
鈥淚f I were a private ambulance, would our folks be making less money? Yes,鈥� he said. 鈥淲ould they be charging similar rates? Yes. But that鈥檚 the constant push-and-pull we have as a fire/EMS system. We need them to be firefighters.鈥�
Councilor Tony Cadena asked Janes if the increased fees will truly cover the cost of ambulance services.
鈥淭he simple answer is that it鈥檚 incredibly complicated to figure that out,鈥� Janes responded, adding, 鈥淚 can鈥檛 give you a black-and-white answer on that. In some cases, yes. In many cases, no.鈥�
Reimbursement rates depend on individual patients and their insurance plans, such as Medicaid and Medicare. New programs have come into place over the last eight years that provide the department with some reimbursement based on the lack of reimbursement from other sources, the fire chief said.
The fire department is forced to write off some costs, he added. 鈥淢y instinct is we鈥檙e losing money.鈥�
Also, Janes said, his department serves 765 square miles. 鈥淲hen you go 90 minutes Code 3 (lights and sirens) out to Foster Camp out past Alsea, they鈥檙e not paying any taxes directly,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 taking your firefighters out of service for four hours to go out there and take someone and get them all the way back to the hospital.鈥�
Council President Paul Shaffer shared Ellis鈥� reluctance.
鈥淚 hate doing this because I hate seeing fees go up, but it鈥檚 what we have to do to pay the bills,鈥� he told the fire chief. 鈥淚 support it because there鈥檚 no good alternative, and I know you don鈥檛 enjoy coming before us.鈥�
Janes said he wouldn鈥檛 come before the council for minor adjustments. 鈥淚f it were 2% or 3% across the board, I wouldn鈥檛 be here.鈥�
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