An interesting and growing trend as the EMS economics crisis presses on.
Agencies and communities that subsidize EMS now billing neighboring communities for mutual aid, especially jurisdictions who are not providing public funding, and as such, have difficulty with EMS responses.
The public policy argument is that a community paying for EMS delivery should not have the resources they are funding responding outside their community to provide primary EMS response to neighboring communities whose systems are unable to response, due to lack of funding.
A survey on EMS Economics published by NAEMT in 2023 revealed the cost trends in mutual by some agencies.
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Rapho supervisors OK solicitor to defend against invoice from MESA
ROCHELLE A. SHENK
Oct 29, 2024
https://lancasteronline.com/news/regional/rapho-supervisors-ok-solicitor-to-defend-against-invoice-from-mesa/
When: Rapho supervisors meeting, Oct. 17.
What happened: Supervisors authorized the township’s solicitor, Susan Peipher of Apple, Yost & Zee, to defend against efforts by Municipal Emergency Services Authority to collect charges against the township for medical services provided to township residents.
Cost: The township received a $6,200 invoice from MESA for services rendered to residents in September.
Background: MESA was formed in an attempt to create a fiscally sustainable model for providing emergency medical services in the region Northwest EMS formerly served. Northwest EMS had been the township’s emergency medical services provider; however, supervisors voted against joining MESA. Since January, Rapho’s emergency medical services provider has been Penn State Health Life Lion.
Township discussion: Township Manager Randall Wenger said he had discussed MESA’s invoice with Lori Shenk, the township’s emergency management coordinator. Shenk, who is also a first responder and had served as Northwest EMS community outreach manager, said she had concerns with the township paying the invoice without discussing it with the solicitor. She said she felt it could set a precedent.
Quotable: In an Oct. 18 email Shenk said, “To the best of my knowledge/understanding, Rapho Township does not have a contract or agreement with MESA and I do not know municipal law or the laws pertaining to the authority, therefore I believe it’s prudent for the township to have their solicitor determine if there is an obligation to pay any invoices from MESA.”
MESA viewpoint: Justin Risser, MESA treasurer and Conoy Township supervisor, said in an Oct. 18 phone call that Rapho is one of four municipalities served by Penn State Health Life Lion to receive an invoice for mutual aid service for September. Risser said mutual aid represents about 10% of MESA’s calls, and residents in the municipalities that are part of MESA are paying for it. Mutual aid occurs when a municipality’s emergency service provider is unable to provide service and another provider is called.
More: Risser said MESA noticed an issue with mutual aid calls to cover for Life Lion since the beginning of the year, but they’ve increased over time. The residents in the four municipalities that were invoiced also will receive an invoice for the difference between what their insurance pays and the cost for the specific service, Risser said. With the four municipalities, he said MESA is trying to cover a shortfall in the payment for the cost of service.
Quotable: “We want to help out (by providing mutual aid), but it’s not fair to our residents (who) are paying a fee for our services,” he said. “The intent of these invoices to municipalities is to encourage them to have a conversation with their provider. Their provider (Life Lion) is not being truthful with the municipalities about their coverage rate.”
