Excerpts from Evanstonnow.com
Evanston aldermen gave final approval increasing charges to patients for ambulance service — the first increase in those rates since 2009.
The new fee schedule increases the minimum charge for an Evanston resident from $362 to $512. Higher rates are charged depending on the level of life support services required. The top fee for residents will rise from $621 to $771. Fees for non-residents are significantly higher.
Fire Chief Greg Klaiber says the new rates will still be lower than the average of the rates charged by other nearby communities, which range from a low of a $450 minimum charge for residents in Wilmette to $1,034.79 for any ambulance run in Glenview.
The city’s current rates are also lower than what Medicare is willing to pay for ambulance service, which means the city has been missing out on reimbursement for some service that many residents would have insurance to pay for.
Klaiber says the new rates are expected to generate an additional $200,000 annually in revenue to the city.
