"Thanks for Calling 9-1-1. May I Have Your Credit Card Number?
The City Council voted on Wednesday to increase the cost of an ambulence ride to $622 (up from $569) plus $14.50 per mile (up from $13.25), NBC Channel 4 reports. Result? The Fire Department's revenues are expected to rise $2 million per year.Did I miss something in the past 47 years? When, exactly, did local government adopt a la carte pricing? I thought we paid taxes for emergency services.
Will we also have to start paying separately for police service?
911 Operator: "You say someone's trying to break into your house and kill you? That's $1000."
Caller: "What can I get for $75?!"
911 Operator: "We can drive by your house three hours from now and shine a light in your window from the car."
Posted by Walter Moore @ 7/12/2006 07:56:00 PM
9 Comments:
THe LAFD began charging for ambulance service in the very early 1970's.
Prior to 1970, there were different delivery approachs to providing emergency medical services throughout the City. In the San Fernando Valley, San Pedro, and Highland Park, this service was provided by the LAFD. In Metropolitan Los Angeles, the service was provided by Central Receiving Hospital Units. In a very small portion of the City, the service was through private ambulance companies.
What brought on the consolidation of services and the fee structure was the paramedic program, which began as a pilot/test in San Pedro in 1968. When the decision was made to expand this program citywide, the LAFD was selected because they had the infrastructure to effectively deliver the service. There was a steep increase in the cost to provide paramedics over traditional ambulance attendants,and the City decided to pass the cost not to the taxpayers, but rather, the users of the service.
This is typical of the horrible city council members we have. We need to get rid of them come March 2007
Unfortunately, from personal experience, I will tell you that when I was advised by our health care provider to call for ambulance service for my husband, I did so. Then got the bill approximately 3 months later. It was a shock of more than $700. No one is discussing this side of health care because it is not glitzy! My husband died, not because of the expensive ambulance service, and the healthcare provider for which we paid a nice premium over many years, still did not cover that expense. (Just presenting another side of the issue.)
AH, but your emergency "destination" is ALSO linked to the size of your wallet. Just a few weeks ago, LAFD quickly hushed up and poo-pooed numerous reports in one (poorer) CD1 community that people with full insurance coverage (city/county employees, even) were being rerouted, mid-transport from the nearest emergency care facilities in Glendale, Burbank, Pasadena, etc. -- cross-quadrant to County, which is 2-3 times the distance, because they were presumed to be indigent, or illegal, or ??
(Well, to be fair, they did have brown skin... that's how "Wacko" knows they're illegal from a window overhead.)
He said so, here, earlier.
Thanks to Brian for the history.
I can easily understand the concern that when you call the Los Angeles Fire Department for medical service, you get a bill if transported to a local hospital.
The fee's charged are in line with the same fee's charged with private Ambulance Companies. The difference is, when you call 911 get the closest Paramedics and Firefighters within a few minutes and not an hour or more.
There isn't a private ambulance company in the Nation that could provide the quality of service or the LAFD professionalism 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to 800 people every single day.
The LAFD transports 500 people every single day to area hospitals. I can tell you, as a LAFD Paramedic, I don't care what insurance you have, if any.
Patients are transported according to the type of, and the severity of thier problem. Any suggestion that the LAFD picks and chooses according to insurance is absolutely rediculous!
As far as billing, choose your poison. Taxes support the Fire Department infrastructure. Raise taxes to cover the additional cost of transporting or let the insurance companies and individuals that receive that service pay the cost.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department provides a similar Paramedic service and does a very good job. However, they don't transport, Private Ambulances do. AND THEY CHARGE FOR IT.
In addition, in Los Angeles County, you pay taxes for the Fire Department, and you pay a FIRE ASSESSMENT on your property tax bill also, and guess what.....you still pay for the ride to the hospital.
If you have a problem with the quality of service, that is a legitimate complaint and needs to be dealt with. Out of 400,000 calls for service each year, few SERVICE complaints ever surface.
Patients are transported according to the type of, and the severity of thier problem.
Company man --- that's the party line, but the facts say different; in FACT it was a paramedic that TOLD people in the CD1 community referenced earlier that "we're supposed to take people from HERE to County, because this is a POOR community" - even after the patient's family said WE HAVE INSURANCE.
Big coverup continues, LAFD and local emergencies rooms are RED-LINING emergency services, and putting people at risk based on how WEALTHY the community is.
The idiot bomb thrower at 9:56 am is just making noise to get attention. Rest assured, the LAFD transports all patients in accordance with County DHS requirements, found at:
http://ladhs.org/ems/Manuals/policies/Ref500/502.pdf
By the way, Brian didn't write the first thread here...I did.
Can they cahrge you if they only came and did a check up , but didnt ride the ambulance? i had an issue a couple days ago and im concerned how is the bill going to go.
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