(a) Ambulance Service Charges.
Any person who utilizes the
ambulance service of the city, whether such person requested the same
or not, by reason of emergencies then existing, shall pay for said
services the following amounts as specified below, except as otherwise
provided.
(1) Definitions.
For purposes of such ambulance service
charges, the following definitions shall apply:
ALS 1 (Advanced Life Support).
Paramedic interventions are medically necessary that include
an ALS assessment and/or at least one ALS intervention; oxygen, cardiac
monitor, IV, administration of approved medications by IV, sub Q,
sublingual, nebulizer inhalation, or IM.
ALS 2 (Advanced Life Support).
Paramedic interventions are medically necessary and used
to include any of the following procedures: cardioversion, advanced
airways such as ET tube, central line, cardiac pacing, chest decompression,
surgical airway, intraosseous line or three or more IV medications
(must be 3 separate full doses of a single drug or 3 different drugs).
BLS (Basic Life Support).
Where medically necessary, the use of supplies and basic
treatment not requiring advanced skills or interventions.
Mileage.
From the scene to final destination of delivery.
Nonresident.
Not a resident of DeSoto, Cedar Hill or Duncanville.
Resident.
A resident of DeSoto, Cedar Hill or Duncanville.
(2) Rates.
(A) Nontransport Fee: A fee of one hundred seventy-five dollars ($175.00)
on all calls where the patient is not transported. Except for the
following:
(i)
Persons that have been involved in a motor vehicle accident;
(ii)
Walk-in patients at the fire station that are not transported;
(iii)
Calls made by a third-party caller.
(B) BLS-E: A fee of one thousand four hundred dollars ($1,400.00) for
residents and nonresidents;
(C) ALS-E: A fee of one thousand six hundred dollars ($1,600.00) for
residents and nonresidents;
(D) ALS2: A fee of one thousand eight hundred dollars ($1,800.00) for
residents and nonresidents;
(E) Mileage charge of twenty-four dollars ($24.00) per mile from the
scene to the final destination of delivery for residents and nonresidents;
(F) BLS disposable supplies charge of three hundred fifty dollars ($350.00);
(G) ALS disposable supplies charge of four hundred dollars ($400.00);
(H) Any person transported by helicopter shall be charged the appropriate
rate as outlined above if the necessity of the transport requires
that the patient be moved any distance by ground ambulance;
(I) The ambulance service charges set forth herein may be adjusted by
the city manager or designee to the rate(s) as established for reimbursement
by the Medicare program or its equivalent administered by the United
States Government.
(b) Private Ambulance Service Application Fee.
A $250.00
nonrefundable application fee shall be charged annually for each ambulance
service registration or renewal.
(Ordinance 2065-16 adopted 10/18/16; Ordinance
2368-24 adopted 1/16/2024)