Ambulance billing begins this month
The Kent Volunteer Fire Department hosted a hosted a cookout and public meeting July 9 to answer any questions residents had about billing patients who use the ambulance services.

Click here for a brochure on Frequently Asked Questions.

The department has provided free emergency medical services since the ambulance service was begun in 1975. However, ever-increasing costs of providing this care and a decline in donations forced the volunteers to begin charging or emergency medical services. Billing began this month.

President Art Romano said there are only 10 ambulance services in the entire state that are not currently billing for services.

“We are finding that the costs inherent in running an emergency service coupled with declining revenue didn’t leave us much of a choice,” Romano said. “As ambulance transports are covered by health insurance, Medicare and Medicaid, we hope this will not have a huge financial impact on residents.”

KVFD has been planning this transition since September 2009, when the members began interviewing billing service companies. Kent has contracted with Emergency Medical Management Solutions of Beacon Falls, CT, which will send out the bills and collect payment.

“We want people to know that they can claim hardship and the department will be receptive to all requests,” Romano said. A committee is being formed to review all hardship requests and KVFD hopes it will include several community members to assist in this process.

KVFD has combined fire and emergency medical services but there will be no charges for responding to fires or mass casualty incidents.

Ambulance Chief Alex Limbos said the department needs this income. The ambulance is regularly responding to over 400 calls annually, he said. With three private schools, two nursing homes, elderly apartments and a substance abuse treatment facility all within its borders, the demand on EMS services continues to grow.

“We want to continue to provide these services with our volunteers,” Limbos said. “It is getting increasingly more challenging to have enough qualified people who are able to give so much of their time. We realize that our volunteers commit an enormous amount of time to provide emergency services to the town. Billing income will help fund our operations, allowing our volunteers to spend less time fundraising and more time training and responding to emergency calls.”

The Connecticut Department of Public Health Office of Emergency Medical Services sets all billing rates and the regulations governing ambulance services.