JEMS fees going up

Jay County Commissioners approved increases in eight fees as well as creating two new ones to help increase revenue for Jay Emergency Medical Service.

The commissioners met with JEMS director Teresa Foster-Geesaman Monday to discuss the fee increases.

The fee hike will help JEMS regain financial solvency, as the department has spent more than it has brought in through taxes and charges over the last two years. The fees will take effect July 14.

Fees were increased for: basic life support, $500; advanced life support 1, $700; BLS inter-hospital, $500; ALS1 inter-hospital, $700; prescheduled (nursing home), $75; mileage, $12 per loaded mile; treatment, no transport, $150; and paramedic intercept, $125.

JEMS will also charge two new fees called "advanced life support 2," which will be for additional care beyond ALS1. The base rate and inter-hospital rate for ALS2 services are both $900.

The county will also begin charging mileage for all runs. Currently JEMS charges $8 per mile but only for mileage accumulated outside the county. The new rate of $12 per mile will be for any miles accrued while the patient is in an ambulance.

The fees did not increase by a set percentage across the board, however all four of the life support run base rates increased by 66 percent or more.

Greg Guerrettaz, the county's financial consultant, recommended the fee increases after a JEMS review in February.

He again mentioned the fee increases at the Jay County Council meeting Wednesday.

Guerrettaz also suggested another full-time billing clerk be added to the JEMS staff to handle the volume running through the office. Even with an additional employee since February, the department is still about two months behind on billing.

The commissioners said they did not discuss an additional employee with Foster-Geesaman.

"We didn't talk about that this morning," said commissioner Jim Zimmerman.

Fees for medicines, bandages and other supplies used during medical runs were not changed.

In other business Monday, the commissioners:

•Signed an ordinance changing zoning on a 1.31 acre tract of land at 6676 East Ind. 26, Portland, owned by Greg Sheffer on recommendation from the Jay County Planning Commission.

The zoning on the land, which has a house built on it, was changed from commercial from ag/residential.

•Made Sheriff Ray Newton purchasing agent to buy two Glock 22 handguns at a cost of $843. The purchases will be made out of the sheriff's firearm fund.

•Heard a presentation from Romary Associates about their space-utilization services. The commissioners said they don't have a need now, but would keep the company in mind for the future.[[In-content Ad]]