As ambulance bills pile up, cities seek cure

Many offer payment options such as credit cards or online

Some South Florida cities are starting to offer the public more options to pay ambulance bills— whether it’s by paying online or by credit card.

In North Lauderdale, almost two-thirds of patients stiff the city on the bill. That means the city uses asmuch as $275,000in taxpayermoney each year to pay off the debt. To try to stop annual losses, the city began allowing people to pay by credit card this spring.

“We’re just hoping it becomes easier for people to pay,” said Michael Sargis, assistant city manager. “Alot of people don’t write checks anymore.”

Other cities, such as North Lauderdale and Sunrise, plan to offer paying by credit card, possibly starting later this year. When people don’t pay, it “affects property taxes,” said Thomas DiBernardo, who recently retired as Sunrise Fire Rescue chief. “Thepeople as acommunity end up paying.”

Some health care insurance programs only pay a portion of a patient’s ride to the hospital in an ambulance — a fee that includes the ride to the hospital calculated by miles, as well as any medical services performed while in the ambulance. It’s up to patients to pay the rest.

And each year, cities use hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars in taxpayer money to cover unpaid ambulance bills. Local governments can’t cut back on providing lifesaving emergency services, so they seek new ways to cope with the drain on the budget.

Pembroke Pines is looking to offer an online-payment option for ambulance bills. And credit card payments may soon be allowed in Oakland Park and Davie.

Generally, some cities write off ambulance bills while some don’t even bill patients at all, according to David Werfel, a New Yorkbased attorney and Medicare consultant for the American Ambulance Association. “They send a bill not expecting to get paid and willing to accept whoever pays — and don’t pursue the ones who don’t pay,” Werfel said. “Other [cities] are much more aggressive about pursuing. It’s a mixed bag.”

North Lauderdale officials say the city’s debt from unpaid ambulance bills has grown over time. Last year, the city said it was forced to wipe $4 million in debt off its books that had accumulated over a 12-year period. To reel in more money, it nowis considering charging a higher ambulance rate for nonresidents.

“It would make it easier for the rest of us” if people paid what they are supposed to, said Mayor Jack Brady. “Everyone is supposed to pay their fair share.”

Boca Raton began offering patients the option to pay their ambulance bills with credit cards years ago, but it has “not particularly” made much difference, said city spokeswoman Chrissy Gibson. Last year, the city was left with a $1.4 million bill from unpaid ambulance fees. “We have payment plans, take credit cards, and work with patients so that they can pay,” she said.

Still, North Lauderdale sees signs of hope from offering more payment options. Since March, the new credit card payment system has netted an extra $2,000 amonth.

Cities depend on patients to pay what they owe, DiBernardo said. The debt from unpaid ambulance fees “looks mathematically horrible,” DiBernardo said, but “we must provide a service. … You can call 911 regardless of your ability to pay.”

lhuriash@sunsentinel.com, 954-572-2008 or Twitter @LisaHuriash