HomeMy WebLinkAbout1975 12-30 Maplewood hikes ambulance fees REVIEW Maplewood hikes
0„...., . 6,, ‘ is-
ambulance -tees
am
of am- bitrary.
Fees for providinghsomen typesBruton pointed out that it could actually
bulanceeservice have been increased by cost the city more to service a call from
the The f Maplewood city increase, approved
council. the south to the north end of Maplewood,
fee by the which is about 10 miles, than it would
someoneco
acrossoua boundaryhnstreet.d
needucil Dec.assistance1s, means thatf citizens whoe dollars seems a citylittle stiff y cross a
paramedic the of the city's
City unitwillbe charged$45ex a call.fined street in some cases," he said.premium
City Manager Michael he Miller explained not But Miller said, "This is a
that until Jan. 1, 1976 the city will not has to pay He added,
"charge for the paramedic service as someone of the t population for."o and activities
such." However, there has been a $35 "Mosttake place in this area (north part of
charge for an ambulance to the hospital Maplewood) where the doctors' artcof
and that basic fee will remain the same in are."
Miller said that Maplewood
1976. Some of the councilmen were unsure if
's am- the city would actually be obligated to run
bula
same a pSramedic charge willn 1.bthe a call for someone in Maplewood all the
same as y' fee for starting al charge. • way out to Minneapolis, for example.
The city's fee additional to However, councilman Donald Wiegert,
each additional at 0i im in the samehefeeunitfremarking on the$10 differential for trips
will remain at$10 ini 1 to Also the for to the doctors' offices, said, "We should
transporting a victim to his or her doe- monitor this to see if this is unjust."
tor's office in the North St. Paul- mCouncilman Burton Murdock, on a
Maplewood area will remain at the same different aspect of the issue, was con-
But$20 level. cerned about the city getting paid for
a$15an pike hasg been made on the the providing the paramedic service. Added
Bruton in a similar vein, "Isn't this an
for transpoting citizens to the
detoxification datetS . center,Hospital which is. now academic issue as to what we charge if
located at St.Luke's in St.Paul• people aren't going to pay us.
Miller said that increase from $20 to $35 Millererespondednthat the city has only
peracall isr voffsetelfa the added expense ose forgiven two charges. The main problem
having to travel farther to service these is timing with citizen filing of claims with
calls. their insurance companies, he said.
Miller alsotrecommendeddthat idenof When Maplewood met with some local
portation to a doctor's office outside of state legislators to explain its plight in
Maplewood and North St. PaulW be in-e financing the 1976 paramedic program,
councilreased from$25 approved d that a call. While ftee the councilmen stated that the increase in
c
increase, Mayor
orRobert ambulance fee fees will do very little to offset the costs of
increase, Mayor Bruton was the program.
concerned that that increase not be ar-