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HomeMy WebLinkAboutord2014-021 WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL AGENDA BILL NO. 2014-121 CLEARANCES Initial Date Date Received in Council Office Agenda Date Assigned to: twh 3.4.14 3.11.14 Introduction Originator. Division Head: E C L M C © 3/25/14 Hearing Dept. Head: MAR 0 7 2014 Prosecutor: 03/ob/iy WHATCOM COUNTY Purchasing/Budget: { COUNCIL �' v I v Executive: 3��� ' TITLE OF DOCUME : Ordinance to increase EMS Transport fees ATTACHMENTS: Ordinance Exhibit A SEPA review required? ( ) Yes ( ) NO Should Clerk schedule a hearing? ( ) Yes ( ) NO SEPA review completed? ( ) Yes ( ) NO Requested Date: SUMMARY STATEMENT OR LEGAL NOTICE LANGUAGE: (If this item is an ordinance or requires a public hearing,you must provide the language for use in the required public notice. Be specific and cite RCW or WCC as appropriate. Be clear in explaining the intent of the action.) Executive Louws respectfully requests Council approval of the proposed fee increases for ALS Transport fees. COMMITTEE ACTION: COUNCIL ACTION: 3/11/2014: Introduced 3/25/2014: Council Adopted Substitute 7-0 Ord. 2014-021 i Related County Contract#: Related File Numbers: Ordinance or Resolution Number: Ord. 2014-021 Please Note: Once adopted and signed,ordinances and resolutions are available for viewing and printing on the County's website at: www.co.whatcom.wa.us/council. I 2 3 SPONSORED BY: consent 4 5 PROPOSED BY: Executive Louws 6 7 INTRODUCTION DATE: 03/11/14 8 9 10 11 ORDINANCE NO. 2014-021 12 13 14 Ordinance Establishing charges/fees for providing Advanced Life Support 15 (ALS) Ambulance Transport Services in Whatcom County 16 17 18 19 WHEREAS, in June 2012, the Whatcom County Council and the Bellingham 20 City Council passed a Joint Resolution of the City of Bellingham and Whatcom 21 County Adopting the Jointly Recommended Business Model for County Wide 22 emergency Medical Services (EMS); and 23 24 WHEREAS, the June 2012 Joint Resolution called for establishment of an 25 EMS Oversight Board ("EOB") and a Technical Advisory Board ("TAB"); and 26 27 WHEREAS, RCW 52.12.131 conveys the authority for any fire protection 28 district which provides emergency medical services, to establish and collect 29 reasonable charges/fees for these services in order to reimburse the district for its 30 costs of providing emergency medical services; and 31 32 WHEREAS, Whatcom County contracts with the City of Bellingham and Fire 33 Protection District No. 7 for the provision of ALS transport and emergency medical 34 services; and 35 36 WHEREAS, the Fire Protection District No. 7 had not adjusted their fees 37 since 2008 and the City of Bellingham has not adjusted their rates since 2007; and 38 39 WHEREAS, the Technical Advisory Board made a recommendation to the 40 EMS Oversight Board for consideration and approval of ALS Ambulance Transport 41 Services fees as outlined in Exhibit A which also includes increased rates for Basic 42 Life Support (BLS) Transport Fees; and 43 44 45 46 47 Page 1 1 2 WHEREAS, the EOB approved for recommendation to County Council the 3 ALS fees outlined in Exhibit A and approved the BLS rates to be encouraged for 4 adoption by all Whatcom County Fire Protection Districts for consistency throughout 5 the system; and 6 7 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED by the Whatcom County Council that 8 the Advanced Life Support (ALS) Ambulance Transport Services Fees to be charged 9 by agencies under contract with Whatcom County are increased as shown in Exhibit 10 A in the column recommended by EOB; and 11 12 BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED these changes will be deemed operative within 13 ten (10) calendar days from the signing of this Ordinance. 14 15 16 17 ADOPTED this 25th day of March , 2014. 18 19 � CCU •" •• WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL 20 � C� '� 21 A-IJEST . �''j °42. =. WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON 23 24 •00`0111 - t4 26 Dana :;own lerk of the Council Carl Weimer, Council Chair 27 �- ��� 28 ////ii i i i i►►►`''� 29 30 WHATCOM OUNTY EXECUTIVE 31 WI-IATCQ_ OUNTY WASHINGTON 32 APPROVED AS TO FORM: 33 lr 34 gtV)ijX.-419-1/7-. 35 36 Chief Civil Deputy Prosecutor Jack Lou s, Count .E•ecutive 37 38 (><1 Approved ( ) Denied 39 40 Date Signed: 3, a 7. /4 41 42 43 Page 2 Exhibit A EMS MEDIC TRANSPORT FEES Proposed Increases Service District 7 Bellingham Fire Recommended Current Fee Current Fee By EOB (1/1/14) BLS Emergency $550. $450. $590. BLS Non-Emergency $550. $390. $550. ALS 1 $750. $675. $750. ALS 2 $950. $675. $950. Specialty Care Transport $950. $675. $950. Mileage $15./mile $12./mile $15./mile Service Definitions EMS Certifications EMT-Basic (EMTB) is an individual who is qualified in accordance with State of Washington as an emergency medical technical-basic (EMT-Basic). Advanced-EMT (AEMT) is defined as an individual who is qualified, in accordance with State and local laws, as an EMT-Basic and who is also qualified in accordance with State and local laws to perform essential advanced procedures and to administer a limited number of medications. Paramedic is defined as possessing the qualifications of Paramedic, in accordance with the State of Washington and having enhanced skills that includes being able to administer advanced life support interventions and medications. Service Description Basic Life Support(BLS)Emergency: BLS services in the context as an immediate emergency response. Basic Life Support(BLS)Non-EmergencyScheduled and/or planned BLS transports that considered non- emergent. Advanced Life Support(ALS) 1:An ALS1 level of service is defined as including an ALS assessment OR the provision of at least one ALS intervention. Must be staffed with at least one paramedic or AEMT. Advanced Life Support(ALS)2An ALS2 level of service is defined to include an ALS assessment AND the administration of at least three medications OR three administrations of the same qualifying medication OR the provision of at least one of the following procedures: manual defib/cardioversion; endotracheal intubation; central venous line; cardiac pacing; chest decompression; surgical airway; intraosseous line. Specialty Care Transport (SCT): When medically necessary, interfacility transportation of a critically injured or ill patient by ground ambulance, at a level of service beyond the scope of the Paramedic. Mileage: Distance the patient(s) are transported to a medical facility, to the closest tenth (0.1) mile. Service description and delivery for this document wil be concurrent with: CMS Manual System,Publication 100-02 Medicare Benefit Policy. Effective date:January 1,2011