Des Plaines raises ambulance rates

Des Plaines city officials this week raised ambulance fees for residents and nonresidents alike. However, residents no longer will have to pay for costs not covered by their health insurance plans, officials said.

Ambulance transportation rates have not been increased since 2007. The fees for basic life support went up by $100 for residents and $200 for nonresidents; advanced life support went up $200 for residents and $400 for nonresidents; a second tier of advanced life support was added at a cost of $950 for residents and $1,150 for nonresidents; and the per-mile charge for residents and nonresidents went up $5.

With the fee increases, the Des Plaines fire department eliminated separate add-on charges for services such as immobilization, intravenous fluid drips, EKGs, and oxygen provided while transporting patients.

“Now it’s just one ambulance fee and that’s it,” Des Plaines Mayor Marty Moylan said.

The changes to the fee structure were adopted primarily to reduce the out-of-pocket expenses incurred by Des Plaines residents for services already supported by their tax dollars, Moylan added.

The rate increases bring Des Plaines’ ambulance fees on par with those in several neighboring suburbs.

Des Plaines also plans to enter into a mutual aid agreement with neighboring North Maine Fire Protection District and the Park Ridge fire department to provide backup ambulance services to each other at resident rates and waiving out-of-pocket costs.

Currently, when an ambulance is requested in Des Plaines and all of the city’s own ambulances are busy, neighboring fire departments respond under existing mutual aid agreements. Under that scenario, Des Plaines residents are required to pay the transporting agency’s higher nonresident ambulance rates.

With a new mutual aid agreement, patients would not be required to pay co-pays or deductibles above what is covered by insurance, Medicare and Medicaid, officials said.

With the higher ambulance fees, Des Plaines anticipates more than $240,000 in additional revenues yearly based on 2010 call volumes, patient demographics, and collection rates.

Acting City Manager Jason Slowinski clarified the city would not collect from residents any part of the fees not covered by their medical insurance since they already pay taxes.

“Usually, insurance covers most of the cost,” he said. “For a nonresident, it would still be an out-of-pocket cost.”