Politics & Government

Ambulance Billing Revenues Ahead of 2011 Projections

The program, which began in 2010, has shown higher than projected 2011 numbers after initial collections were down.

Avon Lake’s EMS billing program, which went into effect in 2010, pulled in lower than expected projections last year, but is ahead of projections for 2011.

The began a soft billing program on May 1, 2010 when insurance companies for non-residents began being billed for ambulance rides. Individuals with no insurance will not be billed and no individuals will pay any out-of-pocket expenses regardless of where they live. Previously, all costs for ambulance rides in Avon Lake to medical centers were picked up by the city.

Avon Lake Finance Director Nancy Bryan said from the program’s inception through Dec. 31, 2010 the Avon Lake Fire Department made 761 transports resulting in $512,896 in charges. Those charges resulted in $183,042.59 in gross revenues and $152,936.15 in actual revenues.

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Gross revenues represent what was billed to the insurance company and the actual is what was received from them.

“The percentage yield in 2010 is only 35.7 percent because during the first few months of the new billing program, the Provider Certification process with Medicare takes a few months to complete,” Bryan said in an email. 

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The budgeted revenue for 2010 was $200,800.

The revenues for 2011 are higher than expected. Bryan said in the first quarter of 2011, there were 340 transports that resulted in $227,336 in charges, which have yielded $97,229.71 in gross revenues. 

“The percentage yield in 2011 is 42.8 percent,” Bryan said by email. “The budgeted revenue for 2011 is $345,708.28 so one-quarter of that amount is $86,427.07.  The first quarter revenues of 2011 are higher than the projections.”

Mayor K.C. Zuber said the money goes into the city’s general fund, budgeted this year at slightly more than $14 million. About $2.3 million of that is for the fire department. When the program was first introduced to city council, Councilman David Kos said he wanted to see that money go directly to fire department needs.

Zuber said the program in now running fairly smoothly after a few initial glitches.

“When we started we had some problems with people getting bills, but it’s straightening out,” Zuber said.

The mayor said that with each passing quarter, ambulance revenue has increased as payments from Medicare have started to come in.  


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