Ambulance Fees

Written by Chuck Floyd on 2008-07-28T07:14:46+00:00

Montgomery County is tax-hungry again.  This time they want to double the fees an individuals who has to use an ambulance.  The Democrat elected County Executive will spend millions on illegal immigrants programs, yet wants to charge citizens for emergency services.

Montgomery County’s volunteer firefighters hate just about everything to do with proposed ambulance transport fees.  The fees, proposed by County Executive Ike Leggett, would range from $300 to $800 per ambulance trip, plus $7.50 per mile traveled.  The Democrat lead county officials cannot sort out government public funded responsibilities versus using our tax money for non-government pet projects.

Bills would go directly to insurance companies, not residents, and county financial officials predict it could net the fiscally challenged county $14 million in the first year, which would fund fire and rescue service improvements. Leggett’s staff says no resident would ever receive an invoice or be asked to pay a dime for service.  Who does Ike Leggett thinks pays the bills?  It is the customer who pays for the insurance....

They wonder why, if residents themselves won’t receive bills, the county is banking on earning $800,000 a year from “self-pay revenues” in the county’s own documents about the plan.  County officials admit out-of-county people would be charged the difference between what their insurance company would pay and the full fee, and uninsured out-of-county people whose household income is above federal poverty guidelines would also be charged.

The existence of a fee would make people hesitate before calling for help or not use the service.  With the different programs for illegal immigrants in the county, will these individuals again be given a FREE RIDE?