[Adopted 2-17-2005 by Ord. No. 2005-3]
This article shall be known as "Charges for the Provision of Emergency Medical Services by the Ventnor City Fire Department."
The City of Ventnor City, through its Fire Department, shall provide full-time professional emergency medical services to citizens of, and visitors to, the City of Ventnor City, on a twenty-four-hour-per-day basis through the year to the extent that said services are available.
[Amended 10-16-2008 by Ord. No. 2008-17; 4-16-2015 by Ord. No. 2015-11; 12-27-2018 by Ord. No. 2018-46]
A. 
The charges for rendering emergency medical services to an individual or parties shall be in the amounts set forth in Chapter 114, Fee Schedule.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
B. 
If the individual and/or parties utilizing emergency medical services treatment is/are covered by Medicaid or Medicare, then the fees established under those programs shall be accepted. In no instance shall those individuals and/or parties be charged a rate higher than established in Chapter 114.
C. 
Any such bill for emergency medical services will be sent directly to the individual and/or party's health insurance carrier, if such individual and/or party has insurance coverage related to said service.
The fee individuals pay to the City of Ventnor City for providing emergency medical services shall be paid by any combination of the following:
A. 
Payment by the insurance company for service provided to an individual who has insurance coverage for same.
B. 
Direct payments from a person for whom services have been provided for any amount which is not covered by insurance.
C. 
Payments pursuant to any service agreement with any person, agency or other entity that has entered into an emergency medical service agreement as further set forth in this article.
No individual needing emergency medical services within the jurisdiction and limits of the City of Ventnor City, to the extent that services are available, shall be denied said services on any basis whatsoever, including, and not limited to, residency, ability to pay, or any other factor. No person located within said City's jurisdictional limits shall be denied emergency medical services to the extent that the same are available.
Personnel of the Ventnor City Fire Department shall maintain accurate records of all requests for emergency medical services within the City of Ventnor City and any service calls and any services provided in response thereto. Such records shall be maintained on forms approved by the City Administrator and shall include an authorization for such services by the individual to whom said services are rendered or verification from a medical establishment that said services were necessary in instances where the individual receiving said services is not able to authorize the same. Said records shall further include certain patient information, including the general nature of the call, and the complete name, mailing address, telephone number, social security number and location for transport of all individuals receiving said emergency medical services within the City of Ventnor City.
A. 
Persons receiving a bill from the City of Ventnor City for emergency medical services shall be responsible for payment of same in full to the City of Ventnor City within 30 days of the date of mailing of said bill. Said thirty-day period for payment may be extended upon proof of submission of said bill to the individual's insurance carrier, upon which time payment shall be due within 30 days of the receipt of said bill by said insurance carrier, but in no event later than 60 days from the date of the bill.
B. 
Persons receiving emergency medical services within the City of Ventnor City who have health insurance coverage regarding said services are required to cooperate fully with City personnel or agents thereof so that full payment is secured for said services provided.
C. 
In the event any health insurance of a taxpayer or year-round resident of the City of Ventnor City does not fully cover the amount billed by said City of Ventnor City, the City will accept such partial payment to the extent of said individual's policy limits concerning said services, including any deductibles and coinsurance requirements, as payment in full for the services provided.
D. 
In the event a taxpayer or resident of the City of Ventnor City does not have health insurance coverage to pay all or a portion of said emergency medical services, payment to the City of Ventnor City by such taxpayer or resident shall not be required.
Residents of Ventnor City, neighboring municipalities, nonprofit organizations and other entities are welcome to enter into emergency medical service agreements with the City of Ventnor City in order to receive emergency medical services as set forth in this section. Such service agreements shall ensure the availability of emergency medical services to any such entity willing to pay a pre-agreed amount of said entity's fair share of the City of Ventnor City's cost of providing such emergency medical services. The City Commission shall, in its discretion, determine whether or not to enter into such service agreements through the adoption of an appropriate resolution or the authorization of the appropriate interlocal services agreement where appropriate. Upon entering into such service agreement with any entity, said entity shall pay the prearranged price for said services and shall not be billed on an individual trip basis.
For the purposes of this article, the following definitions shall apply:
DEPENDENT
Any individual who is the spouse or unmarried child (natural, adopted or stepchild) under the age of 19 years old of a taxpayer or year-round resident as defined in this section. "Dependent" shall also mean any unmarried child under the age of 19 years 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, or who is deemed to be a dependent under the health insurance policy which provides coverage for emergency medical services then in effect for said taxpayer or year-round resident.
TAXPAYER
Any individual listed on the deed of any property located within the municipal boundaries of the City of Ventnor City showing an ownership interest in said property. In the case of a corporation or partnership, only those individuals retaining a twenty-five-percent or greater ownership interest in said corporation or partnership shall be considered taxpayers. For the purposes of determining whether a twenty-five-percent or greater ownership interest exists, a duly married husband and wife may combine their ownership interests.
YEAR-ROUND RESIDENT
Any individual residing within the municipal boundaries of the City of Ventnor City for a period of at least six months and one day prior to the year in which emergency medical services were provided. Verification of residency shall be based on an affidavit of the individual to whom emergency medical services were provided, or a valid representative thereof, and shall include indicia of residency such as a State of New Jersey driver's license or proof of filing of a State of New Jersey income tax return from a Ventnor City address.
The City Administrator may implement appropriate written regulations to further the purpose and intent of this article.
Nothing in this article is intended to, or in any way, waive any immunity afforded the City of Ventnor City, its Fire Department or Police Department. This specifically includes any immunity contained in Title 59 of the New Jersey Statutes Annotated or any other immunity provided, whether the same be statutory or otherwise.
Any person or other entity who violates this article may be subject to a fine of up to $1,000 and/or community service for up to 90 days in the discretion of the Municipal Court Judge.