Schaumburg adjusts ambulance fees to discourage non-medical calls for paramedics
The Schaumburg Fire Department has joined a recent trend among some Northwest suburbs by adjusting ambulance fees to discourage paramedic calls for non-medical reasons.
Fire Chief Fabio Puccini told the village’s public safety committee the purpose is to reduce the burden on department resources by replacing frequent requests for assistance with lifts or other household help with more appropriate sources of long-term support.
Village social workers can help residents make those connections for regular help, he added.
No charges would be imposed until the 11th non-transport call within a 12-month period. For those who are truly abusing the system, that number doesn’t take long to reach, officials say.
The 11th call within a year will cost $100, the 12th will be $250 and each one beyond that will incur a charge of $325.
Among the types of frequently requested non-medical assistance are everything from help with personal mobility issues to finding misplaced items when no family members are around to help.
The new policy doesn’t pertain to calls for a legitimate medical reason that end up without a necessity to transport a person to the hospital.
Village Trustee Jamie Clar, who chairs the committee, said the proposed change was a great idea whether anyone else was doing it or not. The full village board approved it last week.
Puccini said the additional revenue isn’t the motivation for the change. However, when neighboring Hoffman Estates increased its ambulance fees in 2023 to be more in line with the region, it also took the opportunity to define “lift assistance” fees for when residents call the fire department to help disabled persons move around or out of their homes, as well as to perform any household tasks.
Hoffman Estates left the first two such calls per year at no charge. The third through sixth each year cost $150 per call, with gradual increases until those beyond the 30th at $450 each.
Arlington Heights made changes to its policy just days before Schaumburg did. For individuals there in private residences, there’s no charge for the first three calls per calendar year. For four to six occurrences, the fee is $150 each. It’s $200 for seven to 10 times, and above that is $250 each.
Residents of Arlington Heights nursing homes and assisted living facilities face no charge for the first six calls for the entire facility. Fees begin after that at $250 per occurrence.