The Student News Site of Walt Whitman High School

The Black and White

The Student News Site of Walt Whitman High School

The Black and White

The Student News Site of Walt Whitman High School

The Black and White

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March 21, 2024

Ambulance fees shouldn’t raise alarm

When a heart attack or sudden illness occurs, patients want the best care. Without the right training and funding, emergency medical services have a harder time acting quickly and efficiently. Montgomery County is, therefore, justified in passing a new bill that would charge for ambulance services, as it would improve emergency care.

With these new funds, the Fire and Rescue Service would have the resources necessary to deliver fast and expert care for county residents. The ambulance fee is for the greater good of the community.

The fee, which will be $300 – $800, with an additional $8.75 per mile, is expected to generate about $13 million per year for the county. The fee will be charged directly to insurance companies. Those without insurance are exempt from fees, according to county executive Ike Leggett. The money will enhance Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and provide resources for better and faster responses. The fee is a better option than increased taxes, which would directly affect residents, not insurance companies.

Opponents misleadingly claim that the fee will increase health insurance rates. But the ambulance fee would account for less than 1 percent of insurance expenditures, Leggett said. So even if insurance companies do raise rates, it would be by a miniscule amount.

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Adversaries also argue that the ambulance fee will discourage residents from calling 9-1-1, citing other areas of the country where similar policy has been enacted. But most of these claims were unfounded assertions, according to Nancy Floreen, Fire and Rescue Service’s council president. This disproves the critics’ arguments, and suggests that even if people do hesitate when calling 9-1-1, the fees won’t result in harm to citizens.

The ambulance fee will create a more efficient EMS, which will save lives. Even if insurance companies do incrementally raise premiums and residents have to pay a bit extra, a life is worth more than a number next a dollar sign.

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