Are you a local municipality looking to make a few extra bucks in this economy? Anne Arundel County has the answer: Starting next month, Anne Arundel County will reportedly start charging $500 for emergency ambulance rides.
Anne Arundel County officials note that county residents will not be personally responsible for any of the fees. Instead, the county will try to get the injured or sick person’s insurance to foot the bill. The county will not seek collection from uninsured people using these emergency services in Anne Arundel County.
The folks running the show in Annapolis are understandably pressed for cash these days (even more pressed in 2020 post-COVID). But how is Blue Cross going to feel when they find out they are paying a bill that is not being charged to people without insurance? What happens when the insurance companies get wise and deny payment?
Again, local municipalities like Anne Arundel County need to increase taxes or decrease services to survive. But trying to raise money by indirectly taxing health insurance companies I really do not think is the best answer.
2020 Ambulance Cost Update
We have been updating blog posts and gave a call to make sure this post is current. This is the latest information as of May 2020:
• Charges for transport start at $500.00. Total charges start at $700 plus loaded miles at the Medicare allowed rate
• If it is noted the patient is a resident but uninsured, they will not be charged a fee.
• If the injured party is a resident and has health insurance, the bill will be submitted to their health insurance claim. The patient is not responsible for any remaining balance