Council approves hike in EMS billing rates – City will continue to ‘soft bill’ residents
by Melissa Martin
April 2 city council meeting
At the request of Fire Chief Nick Zamiska, Brecksville City Council approved on April 2 a billing rate increase for emergency medical services.
Zamiska said the city’s billing vendor, Great Lakes Billing Associates, has advised him that the city’s rates are below the state average, noting that the last time rates were increased was 2016.
Basic life support incidents will be raised from $550 to $650 and advanced life support incidents will increase from $650 to $750. Advanced life support level II incidents will be increased from $750 to $1,100, and mileage per loaded mile will raised from $12 to $16 per loaded mile.
Kingston said EMS billing will only apply when a patient is transported to a hospital. City residents will be “soft billed” for transport, which means the city will accept what patients’ insurance pays.
EMS billing funds are utilized to purchase vehicles and equipment that last at least five years.
Helping a coworker
Parks and Recreation Director Rachele Engle said employees have banded together in support of their coworker at the community center as he undergoes treatment for cancer and a rare autoimmune disease. Engle explained that Jamie Mewhinney recently spent 18 days in the hospital after being diagnosed with Stage II testicular cancer and an autoimmune disorder.
Mewhinney, who has a wife and four children, underwent three rounds of chemotherapy and exhausted his sick leave. He will have follow-up scans in May to determine whether the treatment was successful.
To ensure Mewhinney doesn’t lose a paycheck as he continues to recover, various city employees have volunteered to share their accrued sick leave with him. City council approved a resolution allowing the sick time to be transferred to Mewhinney.
Council approved the purchase of a used 2019 Peterbuilt tractor trailer to replace the International truck used by the service department that was totaled in the Feb. 25 service garage fire.
Service Director Joe Kickel told city council the Peterbuilt has 380,000 miles on it, but noted the vehicle has more than half its useful life remaining. Such vehicles, he said, can typically be driven one million miles.
Council also approved:
- A resolution authorizing the mayor to apply for 2024-2025 EMS grant funding available through the Ohio Department of Public Safety.
- A resolution authorizing the mayor to apply to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Federal Emergency Management Agency for a grant that funds assistance to improve staffing and deployment capabilities in emergency situations.
- Changes to the city charter to correct misspellings, errors in grammar and make sure all designations are gender neutral. ∞