(A) The County Emergency Management Agency is hereby authorized to continue the emergency ambulance service as has been heretofore provided, subject to appropriate and applicable regulations and statutes.
(B) As used in this section, the term PATIENT shall refer to any injured party or party requiring emergency transportation to a medical care facility.
(C) The term MEDICAL CARE FACILITY shall mean the County Memorial Hospital or other facility providing similar medical care.
(D) As defined herein, each patient who is transported to a medical care facility or who requires emergency ambulance service provided by the County Emergency Management Agency shall be subject to the fees as hereinafter set forth.
(E) Persons who are not injured or requiring medical care and are simply accompanying the patient shall not be charged or considered a patient as used in this section; however, each patient who requires services as set forth in division (D) above shall be subject to the charges as hereinafter set forth.
(F) As used in this section, the term RUN shall refer to the transportation of a patient from the point of pick up by the emergency ambulance service to a medical care facility or other destination which requires emergency ambulance service.
(G) In the event the patient is taken to a medical care facility, removed from the ambulance, and later in need of transport to another medical care facility, the move to the second medical care facility shall be considered a separate run and the patient shall be charged accordingly.
(H)
The following fees shall apply to any patient being transported by the County Emergency Medical Service (EMS) by ambulance service:
(1) $1,150 for each run with Basic Life Support Service;
(2) $1,450 for each run with Advanced Life Support Service (1);
(3) $1,650 for each run with Advanced Life Support Service (2);
(4) $25 for each mile or fraction thereof that the patient is transported on each ran; and
(5) $450 for occasions in which treatment is rendered, but no transport required.
(6) Patients who self-pay this expense out-of-pocket directly to the EMS shall receive a discount of 50% of the total amount owed in accordance with this division.
(7) Any employee of EMS who receives services under this section for themselves or their immediate family shall not be required to pay any amount owed in accordance with this division that is not paid by their insurance provider.
(8) Any other public safety personnel who work primarily for an agency in Morgan County who receives services under this section for themselves or their immediate family shall be required to pay 50% of any amount that is not paid by their insurance provider.
(I) All patients shall be transported to the County Memorial Hospital unless the patient specifically requests another medical care facility or in the event that competent medical personnel recommends transport to another medical care facility.
(J) The County Emergency Management Agency is hereby authorized to obtain necessary information to bill and collect fees as provided herein, which fees when collected shall be remitted to the County Treasurer to be deposited into the General Fund of the county.
(K) The collection of the fees and billing, as provided herein, may be attempted by designated persons within the County Emergency Management Agency or a third party vendor, subject to approval by the Board of Commissioners. The County Emergency Management Agency, may, at its discretion, take measures through the County Attorney to collect any unpaid fees and costs of collection, including reasonable attorney fees.
(L) The emergency ambulance services as outlined in this section shall be provided only in the event that private emergency service is unavailable at the time the request for services is made, except that the County Emergency Management Agency shall be the primary ambulance service for the County Sheriff’s Department and the county jail. In addition the County Emergency Management Agency shall be allowed to provide ambulance service to community organizations and school events, subject to a request by the Director and the consent of the Board of Commissioners.
(Ord. 1-4-1, passed 2-5-2001; Ord. 1-4-1.1, passed 12-26-2001; Ord. 1-4-1.1, passed 9-16-2002; Ord. 2017-3, passed 6-5-2017; Ord. 2017-5, passed 6-30-2017; Ord. 2020-7, passed 10-5-2020)