From
Caroline Siskowic
Title
Ordinance amending Chapter 27, "Vehicles for Hire", Article III "Emergency Medical Service and Ambulance Services," Section 27-72(e), "Provisions of Emergency Services; Fees; Payments and Exceptions; Subscription Program; Auxiliary Ambulances," by increasing the Fire Department's Subscription Membership fee to $75 annually for eligible members per household permitted to participate by state and federal law effective October 1, 2016
Presenter
Robert Fite, Fire Chief
Recommended Action
Approve
Analysis
The City offers a Subscription Membership program for Emergency Medical Services (EMS) to residents of the City of Grand Prairie. A fee of $60 is assessed per year for eligible members per household residing in the City . This voluntary program is available to all residents of Grand Prairie, Texas, head of household, spouse, unmarried children under twenty-five (25) years of age, other residents of the household with court documented guardianship. Medicaid recipients are not permitted to participate per State of Texas Department of Health and Human Services requirements. The Fire Department generates an estimated $48,300 annually in revenue for the general fund from over 800 members for EMS subscription memberships. The $60 annual fee has been in place since the Fire Department began providing EMS on August 1, 2000. This fee has not increased in the history of the City's Fire based EMS.
It is the Fire Department's recommendation, based on the Office of Inspector General (OIG) Anti-kickback Statute, to increase the fee from $60 annually to $75 annually. The OIG has stated that the aggregate subscription fees collected from all members of the program must exceed the aggregate cost-sharing amounts waived for all members or the aggregate subscription fees collected from all Medicare beneficiaries must exceed the aggregate cost-sharing amounts waived for all Medicare beneficiaries. An OIG advisory opinion is attached.
In FY 2015...
Click here for full text