After the March 14, 2018 regular Town Board meeting, The Town of Perry has decided to pay Monroe Ambulance $14,962.47 to continue dedicated ambulance service through the end of April 2018.
Town Supervisor Jim brick says the $14,962.47 was actually funds owed to Monroe Ambulance by the former ambulance service, Perry Emergency Ambulance, which has been inactive for about 8 months after getting behind on their bills to Monroe last year.
The $14,962.47 was the amount owed to Monroe by the former ambulance service for assistance Monroe provided to Perry Ambulance for Advanced Life Support(ALS) as Perry was only a Basic Life Support(BLS) service.
“If it was a Medicare call, only the transporting entity could bill, therefore Perry would send a bill and Medicare would only pay up to a certain amount. Then Monroe would bill Perry for their service which was close to the amount Perry received from Medicare. Perry did not make much on those type of calls,” says Brick.
Brick says Perry Emergency Ambulance got behind on reimbursing Monroe as they used the funds they received for fuel, insurance and payroll.
In September, the Town found out Perry Emergency Ambulance stopped paying their Workers Compensation bill.
“We are considering the funds($14,962.47) as payment to Monroe for providing ambulance service through April 27th,” says Brick.
“We believe the debt should be paid in order that the Attorney General’s Office would allow for the dissolution of Perry Ambulance.”
“This is actually a discounted rate,” says Town Attorney Devon Kelly.
Monroe had proposed a $50.00 per hour rate for the 16 hours of dedicated service, parked on Mill street. The total amount for one month of service would have been $22,400.
Castile Ambulance and Mt. Morris ambulance are picking up the other hours as mutual aid.
Brick says he hopes to have the new not for profit ambulance service, The Town of Perry Ambulance, up an running by the end of April.
“We are awaiting approval of the transfer of the Certificate of Need from Perry Ambulance to the Town of Perry, a process that has taken much longer than we had hoped.”
The Town of Perry is getting help with setting up the new not for profit ambulance service. Dave Disalvo, Deputy Supervisor from Mr. Morris, has successfully operated a similar ambulance service for many years.
“The Town would have the Certificate of Need in its name and then the Town would contract with the not for profit ambulance company that is being set up,” says Kelly.
The Town of Perry Ambulance would be a new ambulance company with a brand new board. It would be located on Mill street, same location as the old service.
Bills would be paid by the proceeds from the ambulance service and their would be a contract between the Town and the ambulance company.
“The Town will receive all the funds due to the Town of Perry Ambulance Service which will operate as a not for profit and distribute those funds to cover all expenses,” says Brick.
The Town will also hire a professional ambulance service billing firm to assist with the collection of revenue.
“There would be appropriate oversight,” says Kelly.
“At this point we envision one member of the Town Board on the not for profit along with a member of the Village Board. This is a service the Town can provide, but its not mandated.”
“In the Town of Perry we believe it is an essential service that should be provided to the citizens.”