EMS billing changes in Seneca County

Due to citizen complaints, Seneca County Emergency Medical Services updated its billing policy.

Under the new policy, any patient who calls for service and receives any treatment or assessment and is not transported will receive a $100 bill. Patients that receive treatment on scene and recover to the point of refusing further care or transport will also be billed $100 plus the cost of any medical supplies, Ken Majors, EMS director, said.

While such runs are costly to the department, it used to not bill for these instances. Often times insurance doesn't cover treatment that doesn't result in transport, so these bills will likely be direct costs to the patients, he said.

The updated policy also reduced instances of billing. Once such case is in fender-bender accidents when a squad is automatically sent to a scene and no treatment is required.

People will also not be charged for service calls that are deemed "good intention calls." This includes welfare checks, assistance moving in or out of the house to a car and pickup from floor to a chair with no injury. However, if a person utilizes this service more than once per month, a bill will be sent, Majors said.

The board passed a resolution accepting the policy and making it effective immediately.

~Original story by Sandra