The City Council gave preliminary approval Tuesday to an ambulance-fee increase for people who don’t live in the city.
If approved on second reading next month, the changes would raise about $65,000 more per year for the city, Finance Director Jim Egeberg said in a memo to the City Council.
Non-residents currently pay $350 per ambulance ride. Under the increase, they would pay $425 per ride for basic life-support services and $550 for advanced life-support services.
The city’s billing agency, Medical Reimbursement Services Inc., recommended the increases and other fee changes, all of which were approved unanimously by the City Council.
Thomas Cosgrove, president of the billing agency, also recommended charging additional fees for services such as oxygen and intravenous medicines. Such charges yield better returns on claims sent to private insurers, Medicare and Medicaid, he told aldermen.