(a) The Fire Chief is authorized and directed to charge and receive reimbursement for City expenses incurred in rendering emergency ambulance and helicopter service to any patient at the rates set forth in this Article. These rates charged by the City for rendering emergency service represent in each instance only a full or partial recovery of, and do not exceed, the City incurred costs in providing these services.
(b) Schedule of Charges for Emergency Service.
Emergency Ambulance Service Rendered By City Personnel | Charges |
Basic Life Support Fee, Each Patient | $1,862.00 |
Advanced Life Support Fee, Each Patient | $2,625.00 |
Mileage One Way - Per Mile | $20.00 |
(c) Notwithstanding the above schedule, the Fire Chief shall have authority to set rates for providing ambulance and helicopter transport services to members of pre-paid health plans for the purpose of providing patients transportation directly to a designated hospital.
(d) Any patient receiving emergency ambulance service, the fees for which are not covered by and reimbursable from a policy of insurance, shall be exempt from the payment requirement if that patient qualifies for low-income status. A patient qualifies for low-income status if the combined gross income of all members of the household in which that patient resides is at or below the levels established by or thereafter adjusted by the Board of Water and Power Commissioners of the City of Los Angeles, consistent with standards established by the State Public Utilities Commission for low-income subsidies, in determining eligibility for low-income subsidy credits and reduced rates for electrical and water service to residential households. For purposes of this Article, "gross income" includes all revenues from whatever source, whether taxable or nontaxable.
(e) The Fire Chief in cooperation with the Office of the City Administrative Officer shall at intervals of not more than one year review the schedule of charges and recommend to the City Council any changes or modifications in the charges set forth in this Section, provided that the following patients shall not be charged for emergency ambulance and helicopter services:
i. arrestees and persons incarcerated in the City or County jails; or
ii. City employees suffering illness or injuries in the course and scope of their employment; or
iii. members of the City Police Reserve Corps suffering illness or injuries in the course and scope of their employment.
(f) The charges set forth in this Section shall be due from the patient and from any person or entity responsible or liable for payment of these charges. No more than the total charge shall be paid by any persons responsible or liable for the charge. The Fire Department shall maintain a record of services rendered and charges for those services in a manner approved by the Fire Chief. The charges imposed by this Section shall be waived as to any patient upon a finding by the Fire Chief that the hospital to which the person was transported by City personnel was unable to administer emergency medical care appropriate to the needs of the patient and that as a result the patient was subsequently transported by private ambulance to another hospital where the services were available. The Fire Chief shall require that patients transported by City personnel be advised that the fees for the transportation service may be waived under the conditions set forth in this Section, provided that a written request for waiver is submitted to the Fire Chief within 30 days after the transportation service has been rendered. Upon review of the submitted request for waiver, the Fire Chief shall, after making a determination, advise the submitter whether the fee has been waived. In the event a fee has been waived, the submitter shall be further advised that a claim for refund may be filed with the City Clerk for any money paid to the City prior to notification of waiver.
(g) The Fire Chief shall, to the extent allowed by State and Federal laws limiting fee recovery, collect all amounts becoming due under the fee schedule established pursuant to this Section and shall deposit same with the City Treasurer. To this end, the Fire Chief shall procure any information as will aid in collection, including the name of the patient's insurance carrier, if any, and the patient's medical coverage under State and Federal law. The Fire Department shall bill patients for the services rendered in conformance with the established fee schedule. If payment is not received within a reasonable time, not to exceed 30 days, follow-up bills shall be mailed to the patient or other person or entity that may be responsible for payment of these charges.
(h) Accounts that have not been paid within 90 days of initial billing shall be deemed delinquent. The Fire Chief shall review the status of unpaid accounts to determine whether the Fire Department is able to collect the debt. In the event that the Fire Department is unable to collect a debt, the Fire Department shall refer that debt for additional collection efforts pursuant to Section 5.181 of this Code.
(i) Any person or entity responsible or liable for payment of uncollected accounts, owed to the City of Los Angeles, that were referred for additional collection efforts pursuant to Section 5.181 of this Code, shall be liable for the underlying obligation and all costs incurred by the City to effectuate collection of those items, including collection agency fees, to the extent allowed by State and Federal laws.
(j) The following emergency ambulance service accounts shall not be referred to collections pursuant to Section 5.181 of this Code.
1. Accounts where the patient has an established payment plan and is making a good faith effort to pay the claim;
2. Accounts that are pending litigation such as car accidents, workers' compensation, or third person liability claims where a lien has been requested on the account;
3. Accounts that are pending review of low-income documentation and/or qualification. Once a decision of ineligibility has been made, the account may be referred at that point;
4. Accounts where a claim or an appeal is currently pending with a health plan, medical group, or hospital responsible for payment of the claim;
5. Accounts that are pending approval or application for victim of crime assistance;
6. Any accounts excluded from collection in accordance with federal and state laws.
(k) Annually or more often, the Fire Chief shall refer those accounts determined to be uncollectible to the Board of Review in accordance with Section 5.182 of this Code.
SECTION HISTORY
Added by Ord. No. 140,506, Eff. 7-1-70.
Amended by: Ord. No. 142,504, Eff. 11-18-71; Ord. No. 143,243, Eff. 5-7-72; Ord. No. 144,182, Eff. 12-29-72; Ord. No. 144,908, Eff. 8-11-73; Ord. No. 147,786. Eff. 11-24-75; Ord. No. 148,107, Eff. 4-5-76; Ord. No. 148,986. Eff. 12-17-76; Schedule of Charges Table. Ord. No. 152,529, Eff. 8-6-79; Schedule of Charges, Ord. No. 153,969, Eff. 7-26-80; Schedule of Charges Table, Ord. No. 156,388, Eff. 3-25-82; Ord. No. 158,565. Eff. 1-19-84; Schedule of Charges Table, Ord. No. 159,648, Eff. 3-15-85. Schedule of Charges Table, Ord. No. 161,002, Eff. 4-25-86; Schedule of Charges Table, Ord. No. 164,882, Eff. 6-26-89; Schedule of Charges Table, Ord. No. 165,770, Eff. 5-20-90; Schedule of Charges Table, Ord. No. 167,098, Eff. 8-17-91; New second para. added, Schedule of Charges Table, Ord. No. 167,427, Eff. 12-28-91; Schedule of Charges and following Paragraph, Ord. No. 171,397, Eff. 12-16-96; Schedule of Charges Table, Ord. No. 172,025, Eff. 6-26-98; Ord. No. 173,363, Eff. 7-29-00, Oper. 7-1-00; Schedule of Charges Table, Ord. No. 176,074, Eff. 8-10-04; Schedule of Charges Table, Ord. No. 176,961, Eff. 11-2-05; Schedule of Charges Table, Ord. No. 177,718, Eff. 9-4-06; Schedule of Charges Table, Ord. No. 180,565, Eff. 4-4-09; In Entirety, Ord. No. 180,645, Eff. 5-29-09; Schedule of Charges Table, Ord. No. 181,225, Eff. 8-23-10; Schedule of Charges Table, Ord. No. 183,807, Eff. 9-12-15; Schedule of Charges Table, Ord. No. 186,861, Eff. 1-18-21; Schedule of Charges Table, Ord. No. 187,463, Eff. 5-26-22.