[HISTORY: Adopted by the City Council of the City of Cape
May by Ord. No. 890-91 (Sec. 13-5
of the 1997 Revised General Ordinances). Amendments noted where applicable.]
The City of Cape May provides full-time professional emergency
medical services (City-EMS) to citizens of and visitors to the City
of Cape May on a twenty-four-hour-per-day basis throughout the year
to the extent that services are available. City-EMS services are provided
by employees of the City of Cape May Fire Department with the assistance
of the Cape May Volunteer Fire Company, whose members provide backup
coverage and other support. Dispatching and other support services
for City-EMS are provided by employees of the City of Cape May Police
Department.
All persons needing City-EMS who are located within the City
of Cape May shall be served to the extent that services are available
without discrimination on any basis whatsoever, and without respect
to residency, ability to pay, or any other factor. No person located
within the City at the time emergency medical services are needed
shall be denied available service. There shall be no delay providing
available service due to City-EMS cost recovery procedures.
The costs of providing City-EMS shall be paid by a combination
of:
A.
Insurance
payments for service to persons who have insurance coverage;
B.
Direct
payments from persons served for amounts not covered by insurance;
C.
Revenues
from service agreements with persons, agencies, and jurisdictions
that rely on City-EMS; and
D.
Local
purpose property taxation for residents who certify they do not have
insurance coverage or other resources to pay for service.
Personnel of both the Police and Fire Departments shall maintain
accurate records of all City-EMS requests for service, service calls
and services provided on forms approved by the governing body. These
records shall include pertinent information about the general nature
of the call and shall identify the complete name, mailing address,
location, and telephone numbers of all persons requesting and receiving
City-EMS services.
[Amended by Ord. No. 899-91; Ord. No. 1104-97; 11-14-2005 by Ord. No. 53-2005; 1-12-2011 by Ord. No. 224-2010; Ord. No. 371-2019; 2-21-2023 by Ord. No. 489-2023]
Except as may be arranged pursuant to duly adopted emergency medical service agreements authorized by § 38-7 below, the Tax Collector shall issue a bill in the amount of $850 plus mileage rate of $14 per mile from the point of pick up to the point of destination in each instance where City-EMS services are utilized. The bill shall be issued to the insurance company providing coverage for the person served and directly to the person served. If insurance coverage is not available, the bill shall be issued directly to the person served.
[Amended by Ord. No. 899-91; Ord. No. 1104-97]
Persons receiving bills for City-EMS services shall be responsible
for payment of same in full to the Tax Collector or proof of submission
of a claim to the person's insurance carrier for payment within 30
days of the date of the bill, subject to the following:
A.
Persons
receiving City-EMS services and who have health insurance to cover
ambulance and emergency medical services are expected to cooperate
with the Tax Collector, other City personnel, or designated agents
of the City of Cape May to secure full payment for services provided.
B.
In
the event health insurance of a taxpayer or year-round resident of
the City of Cape May does not fully pay the bill, the City will accept
such partial payment to the extent of the insured's policy limits,
including deductible and coinsurance requirements, as payment in full.
C.
In
the event a taxpayer or year-round resident of the City of Cape May
does not have health insurance, payment in full shall be required
except that upon submission of sufficient proof to the Tax Collector
of inability to pay the full $700 charge, a minimum payment in an
amount not less than the current and customary Medicare payment for
EMS services may be accepted.
[Amended 2-15-2005 by Ord. No. 19-2005; 4-22-09 by Ord.
No. 177-2009; Ord. No. 371-2019]
D.
Due
to time requirements for the preparation and processing of insurance
claims, interest shall not be charged on EMS billings.
Residents of Cape May, neighboring municipalities, the United States Coast Guard, nonprofit organizations, housing authorities, and others are welcome and invited to enter into emergency medical service agreements with the City of Cape May in order to receive City-EMS services on terms other than set forth in §§ 38-5 and 38-6 above. Service agreements shall insure the availability of City-EMS service to entities or jurisdictions willing to pay a fair share of the City's costs of providing emergency medical services. City Council may enter into such service agreements by adoption of an appropriate resolution or by adoption of an ordinance to authorize an interlocal services agreement in the case of adjacent municipalities.[1]
[Amended by Ord. No. 899-91]
For the purpose of emergency medical services charges, the following
definitions shall apply:
Any individual who is the spouse or unmarried child (natural,
adopted or stepchild) under the age of 19 of a taxpayer or year-round
resident as defined in this section. "Dependent" shall also mean any
unmarried child under the age of 19 for whom the taxpayer or year-round
resident has been appointed legal guardian. "Dependent" shall also
mean any individual who resides in the permanent domicile of the taxpayer
or year-round resident, and is claimed as a dependent for federal
income tax purposes. "Dependent" shall also mean any individual who
resides in the permanent domicile of the taxpayer or year-round resident,
and who is deemed to be a dependent under the health insurance policy
of the taxpayer or year-round resident.
Any individual listed on the deed of ownership of any property
located within the municipal boundaries of the City of Cape May. In
the case of a corporation or partnership, only those individuals retaining
a twenty-five-percent or greater ownership shall be considered a taxpayer.
For the purpose of determining a twenty-five-percent or greater ownership,
a duly married husband and wife may combine their ownership shares.
Dependent, as defined in this section, shall be considered a taxpayer.
Any individual residing within the municipal boundaries of
the City of Cape May for a period of at least six months during the
year prior to EMS service. Verification of residency shall be based
on voter registration, a valid State of New Jersey driver's license,
or proof of filing a State of New Jersey income tax return from a
City of Cape May address. Dependent, as defined in this section, shall
be considered a taxpayer.
[Amended by Ord. No. 899-91]
The City Council is authorized to adopt by resolution such regulations and decisions to implement the emergency medical service provisions of this chapter, including a schedule of specific service fees to be included in the charges set forth above, criteria by which the Tax Collector shall determine ability to pay, and procedures for the cancellation of unpaid bills due to inability to pay or other factors. On matters not addressed by the provisions of this chapter or specific regulations and implementation decisions by resolution of City Council, the Tax Collector is authorized to establish and follow administrative rules and regulations for the effective administration of this chapter in compliance with § 10-25, Administration rules and regulations; filing and publication, of the codification of ordinances of the City of Cape May.
