SUMMIT COUNTY – This winter it will likely cost medical patients about $55 more to ride in an ambulance locally and $230 more if a patient requires a transfer between area medical facilities. The Summit County Ambulance Service is proposing an increase in its user fees to keep up with rising personnel and health insurance, fuel and utilities costs, as well as a jump in the ambulance service’s financial contribution to the Summit County Communications Center, where it’s located, Ambulance director Sean Caffrey said.Right now, the base cost for an ambulance ride is $975 plus $18 per mile, totaling about $1,040 for an average 9-mile local transport following a 911 call, or $1,935 for an average 44-mile ride to a medical facility outside Summit County.The new fee structure – $985 plus $23 per mile – would raise an average 911 call to $1,095 and an interfacilitiy transport to $2,165, Caffrey said.The last time Summit County Ambulance raised its fees was November 2005 when it hiked the base rate by $100 and the mileage charge by $3. Before that, it had been four years since ambulance rates went up.”Generally we’ve had to do it about every two or three years. It’s really all based on costs. We don’t raise them just for the sake of raising them,” Caffrey said.

Summit County Ambulance, which runs on a $3.59 million budget, is an enterprise fund of Summit County Government. It’s supported almost entirely by patient fees and doesn’t receive a subsidy from the county or revenue from taxpayers.This year’s increase can mostly be attributed to rising personnel costs, Caffrey said.”We’re expecting about a 25-percent increase in health insurance costs heading into next year,” he said.Fuel costs are also running about $5,000 a month for the ambulance fleet compared to $4,000 a month last year, Caffrey said.No new staff members or programs are budgeted for next year.Through July, Summit County Ambulance has handled 3,914 calls, up slightly from 3,886 calls at the same time last year.In 2006, 60 percent of the calls were in-town 911 transports, while 37 percent were considered interfacility transfers. This year, those statistics have shifted slightly to 62 percent in-town calls and 35 percent interfacility transports.That fluctuation has do to with the increased capabilities at the new hospital – a 25-bed, Level 3 trauma facility – which means more patients can be treated locally instead of being transported to Vail or Denver.Before the hospital was built, a consultant estimated Summit County Ambulance could lose up to $1 million in revenue due to a drop in long-distance transports, but Caffrey said the impact wasn’t as bad as expected.

Last year, the ambulance service billed $5.1 million in charges, compared with $4.9 million this year. On average, it collects about 70 percent of what is billed out.”Seventy percent (collection) is actually great. The urban areas in the state are only seeing 50 to 60 percent overall,” Caffrey said.The Board of County Commissioners is scheduled to vote on the ambulance fee change next week, but all three commissioners indicated support for the increase at a Tuesday work session.If approved, Caffrey said the new charges will go into effect by the start of the ski season.Cost comparisons as of January for advanced life support services in nearby districtEagle County Ambulance District: Base: $975 plus $16.50/mile. Also supported by a mill levy of 2 , which yields about $3.67 million in tax revenue.Grand County EMS: Base: $953.75 plus $15.53/mile. Receives an annual subsidy of about $500,000 from Grand County.

Clear Creek County Ambulance: Base: $920 plus $17/mileSouth Park Ambulance District: Base: $800 plus $18/mile. Also subsidized with about $706, 000 in tax revenue through a 3.749 mill levy.Summit County Ambulance Service (proposed): Base: $985 plus $23/mile. There is no tax or mill levy funding.Source: Summit County Ambulance ServiceNicole Formosa can be reached at (970) 668-4629, or at nformosa@summitdaily.com.