County To Start Charging for Ambulance Service

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Release: Loudoun County

On Monday, July 6, Loudoun County will begin charging an Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Transport Fee. Funds raised through the EMS Transport Reimbursement Program will help offset costs associated with providing emergency medical services, including operational expenses of the combined fire-rescue system of volunteer and career personnel who provide 24-hour, high-quality emergency medical care. Fee-based services are not new to the EMS industry and have been standard nationally for more than 30 years.

No individual who needs care will ever be denied service or have to worry about whether they should call 911 because the services provided will never be based on a person’s ability to pay. It is important to note that patients transported by ambulance will have applicable insurance, Medicare or Medicaid billed first, followed by any supplemental health coverage.

It is possible that individuals may be responsible for any co-insurance, deductibles or denied claims. If an individual is unable to pay because of a financial hardship, the county will not pursue payment and will not refer the bill to collection. No one will ever suffer financial hardship as a result of emergency medical transport.

In 2014, the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors voted to approve a new ordinance to establish the program. The board also directed the fee structure to be consistent with market-accepted levels. The fees are: $467 for Basic Life Support, $660 for Advanced Life Support I, $770 for Advanced Life Support II and a transport mileage fee of $11 per mile.

The board also directed that the reimbursement model include a revenue-sharing component so that volunteer fire and rescue companies will receive the majority of collected revenue. The funds received through the program will be used to pay for training, equipment, special apparatus and support personnel.

Implementation of an EMS Transport Reimbursement Program will have no impact on the emergency medical services provided to Loudoun County residents and visitors.

More information is online at www.loudoun.gov/emsreimbursement.