Searsport Ambulance Billing
Searsport Ambulance, in accordance with Federal and State law, bills all patients for services rendered. These laws are in place to prevent fraud. The law state that all patients are billed equally whether they are insured or not, residients of Searsport or not , and able to pay or not.
If insured, Searsport Ambulance will bill your insurance in accordance with rates set by the Town of Searsport. Presently, these rates are set lower than National CMS standards.
If uninsured, you will be billed at the same rate.
If you have any questions about your ambulance bill, please contact our billing office at 207-223-5733.
While we understand that there are circumstances in which an ambulance bill adds additional stressors for many, we are not able to "selectively bill".
As Chief of EMS and a healthcare provider, I ask that you first worry about your medical problem. If you have difficulties or hardship in paying your ambulance bill, please contact me or Town Manager Gillway.
--Cory Morse, WEMT-P
Chief, Searsport EMS
207-548-2302
Where Does the Revenue Go?
Revenue received from EMS billing is applied toward the cost of running the EMS Department. In CY 2008, the Ambulance Budget was approximately $110,000. Projected revenue for the same period is $65,000. Therefore, in CY 2008, the taxpayer share (portion of the EMS budget supported by taxpayers) is $45,000.
Fortunately, Searsport EMS is ahead of revenue projections due to an increase in calls, higher reimbursement rate (increase in Advanced Life Support responses), and new revenue streams (ALS intercepts, CPR and other training offered).
Revenue goes to payroll, equipment, training, vehicle operations, fuel, maintainance, licensing fees, uniforms, utilities and billing.
It is our hope that the Ambulance Service will be self sufficient (break even) within the next four years. In other words, there would be no net cost to the taxpayer (raised from taxes).
This page was last modified on Wednesday, November 26, 2008 16:55