UNION, WV (WOAY) – The Monroe County Commission met today to discuss ambulance fees across the county.
Monroe is in the process of updating its ambulance service. After going through a contractor solicitation, STAT EMS emerged as the winning bidder.
“I had a conversation with STAT to try to maintain ambulance service within the county,” said the Director of 911 Monroe County Richard Miller. “That conversation was positive and they have given us a 90 day continuation without charges.”
In 2017, the Monroe County Commission established a $100 fee per household for an ambulance service. That fee, set to subsidize labor costs, has had an average return percentage in the low 50’s, which has resulted in an increasing deficit for the county.
“Right now the county carries somewhere in the neighborhood of a $860,000 deficit,” Miller said. “That deficit had climbed to a point where bills were going unpaid to the ambulance authorities.”
The invoices have been turned to collection agencies to hopefully recuperate the lost cost. This isn’t the only area where Miller hopes to see an improvement in the near future.
“The commission is working with me right now to put forth a levy,” Miller said. “A levy in comparison to an ordinance allows for the cost occurrence for EMS coverage to be spread out across the entire property tax values rather than just a homeowner.”
The services in Monroe are being performed by both Greenbrier and STAT on a voluntary basis.
