Funding the EMS System

Funding the EMS System

By John D’Angelo, Tri-Community South EMS

Tri-Community South EMS (TCS) has been serving the citizens of Bethel Park, South Park, and Upper St. Clair since 1978. In that time, TCS has seen many changes in EMS, especially in the areas of technology, patient care advances, and call volume. At present, TCS responds to more than 7000 emergencies calls a year. However, one area that has not changed in all this time has been the funding practices used for maintaining the system.

Traditionally, EMS systems across the U.S. have been funded through a combination of health insurance billings, tax subsidies, and ambulance system memberships. TCS does not receive tax subsidies from any of the three municipalities it serves. Alternatively, it must rely on health insurance billing and system memberships as its only revenue sources.

Many people assume that their health insurance will pay all ambulance fees. However, insurance billing practices are based on a complex formula involving factors such as distance to a hospital and level of patient care so that, in the end, almost no insurance plan will cover 100% of the cost of ambulance transportation. And, whatever is not covered by the insurance company becomes the responsibility of the patient. This cost can exceed $600 for a single ambulance trip.

No insurance plan contributes payment for an ambulance visit to a residence which results in treatment without transportation to a hospital. The fee for this service, which can cost $200 for a BLS response and $250 for an ALS response, is the sole responsibility of the patient.

These charges, however, can be reduced or eliminated altogether simply by joining Tri-Community South as a subscriber. For a fee of $60 a year, each household family member is protected from incurring unnecessary bills for emergency ambulance service. Subscriptions will cover 50% of any co-payments or deductibles not covered by an insurance policy. Also, the subscription plan will cover 100% of any emergency treatment in which transport is not required. Those who are covered by a subscription include all family members who reside at that address as well as non-resident visitors and guests. The subscription plan also covers subscribers who may require an ambulance at most near-by communities that are outside of TCS’s coverage area.

Additionally, because of the shortfall that results from current insurance company practices as well as the fact that TCS does not receive money from municipal taxes, your subscriptions help to maintain TCS’s position as one of the foremost EMS systems in Pennsylvania. The subscription program replaces taxes as a source of revenue to enable TCS to continue to operate.

The subscription program is so beneficial to both the EMS system and to the citizens it serves, it seems people would need little convincing to join. However, the opposite appears to be the case. Each year, only slightly more than 25% of the entire coverage area choose to become members, which means that 75% of the citizens served by TCS do not.

Brochures for the 2019 campaign drive will be mailed to TCS’s communities at the end of October. Look for your subscription material in the mail sometime around the beginning of November. Maintaining a quality ambulance service requires cooperation from all of us. Consider maintaining your membership or becoming a member if you have not done so in the past! With your help, we can, and will, be ready to help you!

If any group or organization would like to have a speaker from Tri-Community South appear to talk about the subscription plan or any other topic related to emergency healthcare, contact TCS at 412-831-3710, extension 109.