Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Top tax delinquents in Oregon include four from Jackson County ... Wet March expected for southwest Oregon ... Emergency Services ... Top tax delinquents in Oregon include four from Jackson County ... Wet March expected for southwest Oregon ... Emergency Services ... Bill promises new revenue stream to EMS providers Bill promises new revenue stream to EMS providers; ambulance companies cautiously optimistic Comment By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Follow @@mtcrimebeat MailTribune.com By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Follow @@mtcrimebeat Posted Feb. 22, 2016 at 12:01 AM By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Follow @@mtcrimebeat Posted Feb. 22, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News Fire and rescue agencies are rallying behind a bill that would offer additional funding for emergency calls involving Medicaid recipients. According to Jim Price, fire chief for Rogue River Fire District, Medicaid pays $421 plus $8 a mile for emergency calls that include ambulance transportation. If the Medicaid recipient pays a co-pay, reimbursement may total $500, but the figure is a far cry from the standard ambulance fee, roughly $1,050 plus $14 a mile. “If the run is approved (by Medicaid), what they pay us is all we’re going to get,” Price said. Oregon House Bill 4030 seeks to remedy that shortfall by authorizing federal funding through Medicaid's Ground Emergency Medical Transport program. The federal program, if approved through state legislation as it has been in California and Washington, would cover 64 percent of the gap between the actual cost and what's currently paid by Medicaid. “Those gaps, the public’s paying for it,” Ashland Fire & Rescue Chief John Karns said. As the two public Jackson County rescue agencies that offer ambulance service, Rogue River Fire District and Ashland Fire & Rescue have the potential to see the most benefit from the proposed funding. Karns said that about 300 of Ashland Fire & Rescue's 1,700 annual patients needing medical transport are Medicaid recipients. His agency serves the city of Ashland, as well as calls as far north as Talent and south to the California border. Jackson County Fire District 3 fire Chief Dan Petersen has been a local proponent for the legislation in Salem, and sees it as a potential windfall for all first responders. “It’s all new money coming to Oregon coming from federal Medicaid,” Petersen said. For Oregon firefighting agencies that don't offer ambulance services, such as Medford Fire-Rescue and District 3, the proposed bill will fund 64 percent of the cost of fire-engine responses for Medicaid recipients. Although his department hasn't tabulated the cost, Petersen estimates it to be between $250 and $300 per call. Petersen said that last year, Fire District 3 responded to 7,325 medical service calls, and of those, 5,369 needed an ambulance. "We're going to conservatively estimate that about 1,000 were Medicaid patients," Petersen said. For his district alone, he estimates a boost of new revenue in the ballpark of $176,000 from the program. Medford Fire-Rescue Deputy Chief Justin Bates, who also serves as president of the Rogue Valley Fire Chiefs Association representing 21 fire departments in Jackson and Josephine counties, said medical calls make up between 70 and 80 percent of departments' calls for response. Bates and Petersen submitted letters of support to legislators. “It has the potential to add a significant amount of money to our operations,” Bates said. The first draft of the bill submitted Feb. 1 overlooked private, nonprofit and volunteer ambulance services, drawing criticism from Doug Stewart, chief executive officer of the nonprofit Mercy Flights. Mercy Flights has a contract with Jackson County to provide ambulance service in the Medford area between Rogue River Fire Department at the north and Ashland Fire-Rescue in the south. Because ambulance services are contracted through a county to ensure coverage at every square mile of the state, the Legislature submitted a revised draft restructuring funding to be dispersed at the county level. "Volunteer (emergency medical) services are very critical to Oregon," Stewart said. "They were willing to work with us on an amendment." Stewart said Mercy Flights receives the same $421 from Medicaid for ground ambulance transports as public services, while ground ambulance fees for Mercy Flights start at $1,083 plus $15.45 per mile. "The problem is, it comes nowhere near meeting our actual cost," Stewart said. As a nonprofit, Mercy Flights' revenue comes exclusively from ambulance fees and a community membership program. Stewart said Mercy Flights saw an 8.5 percent increase in medical calls from 2014 to 2015 — an increase his organization had not seen since it received the county contract for ambulance services in 1992. Stewart attributes the spike partly to growth in the retirement-age population and an influx of patients newly insured under the Affordable Care Act. In 2015, Mercy Flights took 17,000 patients to the hospital in an ambulance. Of those, 21 percent were Medicaid patients, meaning that if the bill passes the state Legislature and is approved at the federal level, it would bring in an estimated $250,000 in new revenue. Medicare patients, which pay a similarly low percentage but aren't included in the legislation, made up 57 percent of ambulance transports. In total, Stewart said, 78 percent of Mercy Flights ambulance runs are reimbursed at rates below their cost. "That's the bulk of our budget," Stewart said. Only 13 percent of Mercy Flights' transport patients in 2015 were commercially insured, which typically pay between 80 and 90 percent of the ambulance fee. A work session on the bill is scheduled in the Legislature for Monday, and Stewart believes the amended version will pass. Upon approval, amendments to Oregon's Medicaid plan will be submitted at the federal level to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. If CMS approves Oregon's plan, it'll be the first time the federal Ground Emergency Medical Transport funding will be dispersed to private agencies. "We're really hoping they'll approve this plan," Stewart said. Bates said the intent of the bill is to benefit all emergency agencies, not just the public ones. “We want (private agencies such as Mercy Flights) to be healthy, and continue operating and doing their business,” Bates said. Although Stewart said it wouldn't be the first time Oregon has broken new legislative ground, the fact that Oregon's bill would be unprecedented in allowing private first-responders access to the federal funding makes him cautiously optimistic. If the federal government ultimately excludes private nonprofit and volunteer organizations, Stewart believes the impact won't be seen immediately for his organization. "Over four to five years it might create a very unlevel playing field," Stewart said. "We won't be able to keep up. "We're happy with the amendment and we're just hopeful the federal government is going to approve this plan," Stewart said. Reach reporter Nick Morgan at 541-776-4471 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @MTCrimeBeat. By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Follow @@mtcrimebeat MailTribune.com By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Follow @@mtcrimebeat Posted Feb. 22, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501