(a) "Basic Life Support" (BLS) services means any pre-hospital medical intervention requiring an emergency response by personnel certified at the levels of EMT- Basic or EMT-Paramedic employed by the City of Galion or another political subdivision responding to a call for emergency medical services in the City of Galion. An emergency response is one that, at the time local 911 is called, a response unit is dispatched immediately. Medical interventions include, but are not limited to, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), oxygen administration, bleeding control, treatment of shock, splinting of fractures, childbirth, and patient assessment, including taking and recording patient vital signs, etc.
(b) "Advanced Life Support Level 1" (ALS1) services means the provision of the following medical services requiring the immediate response of an ALS crew and vehicle, and including the provision of ambulance transport service that provides equipment and staff needed to provide complex specialized life-sustaining procedures to patients under the direction of a physician who provides medical control. Such complex specialized life-sustaining services may include, but not be limited to, administering IV therapy, establishing and maintaining a patient's airway, relieving pneumothorax conditions, cardiac monitoring, etc. ALS service includes the provision of an ALS assessment or at least one ALS intervention. An ALS assessment is an assessment performed by an ALS crew as part of an emergency response that is necessary because the patient's reported condition at the time of dispatch is such that only an ALS crew is qualified to perform the assessment.
(c) "Advanced Life Support Level 2" (ALS2) service means transportation by ground ambulance vehicle and the provision of medically necessary supplies and services including (1) at least three separate administrations of one or more medications by intravenous administration (excluding crystalloid fluids) or (2) ground ambulance transportation and the provision of at least one of the following procedures: manual defibrillations/cardioversion; endotracheal intubation; central venous line; cardiac pacing; chest decompression; surgical airway; or intraosseous line. The monitoring of the listed intervention that were placed prior to the transport also qualifies as an ALS2 procedures.
(d) "Transport" means to carry out or convey a person by publicly owned or operated motor vehicle being used in response to a call for emergency medical service from one location to another.
(e) "Resident" means any persons who maintains his or her permanent residence within the corporate limits of the City of Galion or within the boundaries of any political subdivision which has contracted for emergency medical services from the City of Galion.
(f) "Non-Resident" means any person who does not maintain his or her permanent residence within the corporate limits of the City of Galion or within the boundaries of any political subdivision which has contracted for emergency medical services from the City of Galion.
(g) All of the foregoing definitions shall be subject to automatic adjustment by reason of changes in applicable Medicare regulations and definitions and/or other authorities, including but not limited to the Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services CMS Manual System Publication 100-02 Medicare Benefits Policy Chapter 10, Section 30.1.1 - Ground Ambulance Services, and R.C. 4765.37 and 4765.39 and any applicable provisions of the Ohio Administrative Code, which are incorporated herein by reference.
(Ord. 2012-30. Passed 5-8-12.)
Each person, whether a resident or a non-resident, calling for and/or receiving emergency medical services (EMS) with transport shall pay a user fee therefore as follows:
(a) For BLS services, the fee shall be six hundred dollars ($600.00), plus fourteen dollars ($14.00) per loaded mile.
(b) For ALS1 services, the fee shall be seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), plus fourteen dollars ($14.00) per loaded mile.
(c) For ALS2 services, the fee shall be Eight hundred fifty dollars ($850.00), plus fourteen dollars ($14.00) per loaded mile.
(d) No fee will be charged for any of the above services in the event they are undertaken without transport.
(e) The City shall forgive for all residents any outstanding balance resulting from the above fees after available reimbursement from insurance and other third party payers is made on their behalf to the City. This billing practice is approved by the Department of Health and Human Services as stated in OIG Advisory Opinion 04-14. In the event an insurance or third party payment is paid directly to the responsible party rather than to the City of Galion, such person shall forward said payment to the City of Galion or otherwise be responsible for making said payment to the City of Galion.
(f) The Treasurer may waive the aforesaid fee or any portion thereof with regard to persons not included in subsection (e) above where such officer determines, based upon supporting documentation that the non-resident person receiving the services is indigent or otherwise unable to pay for such services, and there is no other source for the payment thereof. In such instances, the individual requesting the waiver shall have the burden of providing any documentation required, including but not limited to verification of income. The City's designated billing agent shall notify each party billed of the terms of this subsection in conjunction with the billing for the fee.
(Ord. 2012-30. Passed 5-8-12.)
CODIFIED ORDINANCES OF GALION