Harleysville Area Emergency Medical Service, Incorporated

Review: Harleysville Area EMS provided an ambulance ride for my father [redacted] on ?? I am not sure of the date - it does not show on the bill. I received a bill in April for $947. I sent the following letter to Harleysville Area EMS on 5/6/13.To Whom It May Concern, I am the son of [redacted] and executor of his estate. My father passed away on 2/24/13.Prior to paying this bill can you please provide information on why transporting my father 9.8 miles would cost $947. I just paid a bill from [redacted] Medical Transportation Inc. for similar services for my father and after insurance paid - the patient responsibility was $85.54 for one trip and $74.90 for another trip.Can you please explain why my fathers Medicare coverage and secondary insurance does not cover some of the expense? Is your service different than [redacted] Medical Transportation?I do not have any problems paying for services provided but this cost seems way out of line. Why did you transport instead of [redacted] Medical Transportation? Where was my father transported and who called you to provide the transportation? I would think if they knew the cost to transport they would not use your service.Regards,[redacted] I received no response from Harleysville Area EMS after April. On August 25th I received a letter from the Law firm [redacted] & [redacted] stating that they had been retained by Harleysville Area EMS to collect the money. The letter also stated that I owe $45.46 in interest.Desired Settlement: I don't have a problem paying for the service provided but was never given an explanation for why the fee was $947 and why it was not covered by medical. I feel I should not pay the interest since the delay was due to no response to my letter.

Business

Response:

October 9, 2013

To whom it may concern

I do not recall receiving the original complaint / question from the gentleman who filed this complaint with the Revdex.com against Harleysville Area Emergency Medical Service, Inc, Anyway, the gentleman’s father (**. [redacted]) was transported by Harleysville Area Emergency Medical Service after 911 was called for **, [redacted]'s because his wife and others at the residence did not think her husband, **. [redacted] was acting appropriately and she thought he was having an emergency medical event. When the emergency, advanced life support, ambulance arrived at the patient’s residents **, [redacted]’s was assessed by the Paramedic and all parties agreed it would be best for **. [redacted] to be transported to the closest appropriate hospital for further emergency medical care.

Sense the patient, his wife or someone at the residence called 911 they received an emergency advanced life support ambulance who transported the patient 9.8 miles to [redacted] Hospital emergency room. During transport the patient received a full physical assessment and vital signs were taken from the ambulance crew.

As for the difference in the transportation costs the complainant refers to in his letter to the Revdex.com, [redacted] Medical Transportation, is a non-emergency, basic transportation service that provides prescheduled transportation services to persons in wheelchairs or others who are bedridden or not able to be ambulate well on their own, This type of basic medical transportation service is privet for profit business and does not provide emergency 911 medical services within [redacted] County PA.

Harleysville Area Emergency Medical Service, Inc. is a non-profit emergency advanced life support (ALS) ambulance service that is dispatched to and provides emergency 911 services to designated areas within [redacted] County, PA. As an emergency ALS ambulance service our costs and billing structure is much different than the privately owned non-emergency medical transportation companies because we are required by state law and county protocols to have advanced life support equipment on the ambulance and certified advanced life support crews in station ready to respond to emergency 911 ambulance calls within 4 minutes,

As an emergency 911 ALS ambulance our service billing rates are well within the Medicare and industry norm for [redacted] County and Eastern PA. Below are our service rates:

Service Charges

• ALS Emergency Transport-Lev 1 $1,400.00

* ALS Emergency Transport-Lev 2 $1,800.00

• ALS Assessment Only $200.00

* ALS Treat and Release $600.00

• BLS Emergency Transport $800*00

• BLS Treatment/No Transport $400,00

• Mileage (loaded) $15.00

Harleysville Area Emergency Medical Service, Inc, utilizes a third party billing agency. The billing company appropriately invoiced **. [redacted] or his insurance company (Medicare) for a basic emergency transport = $800 plus $15 per mile for 9-8 miles for a total of $947,

I hope my explanation in this letter was able to clarify and found expectable acceptable to the complainant and to the Revdex.com,

On behalf of Harleysville Area Emergency Medical Service, Inc. we are very sorry to hear about the loss of the complainant’s father on 2/24/13.

Should the complainant or the Revdex.com have any additional questions or if further clarification is needed, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Respectfully,

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is "MOSTLY" satisfactory to me.

I have mailed a check for $947.00 to [redacted] & [redacted] (firm retained by Harleysville Area EMS to collect the money due).

I did not however not include the $50.75 interest that they said was due.

The reason for not including the interest payment:

o I received the first bill dated March 12, 2013- Returned and asked to re-submit to insurance providers. I was not aware insurance did not cover.

o Received second bill dated April 30, 2013

o I sent a letter to Harleysville Area EMS asking for additional information on May 6, 2013

o I received no response until August 25th and it was from the collection agency asking for $947.00 plus interest of $50.75

Based on the above I do not feel I am responsible for the delay or the interest that is being charged.

I hope this issue is now resolved.

Regards,