Possible solution to problem presented
Paramedics express concern about funding
Wanda English Burnett - Editor

Ripley County EMS Director Scott Melling expressed concerns about the continuation of the paramedic system in light of budget issues at a May EMS Advisory Board meeting.

Melling told those at the meeting that the system is working, the quality of emergency health care for residents of Ripley County has been enhanced through the system, but funding to continue seems shaky at this time.

Expressing dismay by the lack of support he feels some of the council members are giving, Melling noted that they knew the paramedic system wouldn't be self-sufficient from the get-go.

Since the inception of the new paramedic system in the county on January 4, 2004, many success stories have been relayed due to advanced life support (ALS) procedures. At that time, county officials had researched options for emergency medical services in the county due to problems with dwindling life squad volunteers and funding issues.

Initial funding came largely from riverboat monies with the hopes that billing insurance companies would offset the cost of the system in the future. According to Melling, the reimbursements are well below what was anticipated. He gave an example of one EMS provider billing $275,000 and only receiving $80,000. He said the ALS part of that money only amounted to about $7,000.

In Ripley County last year, paramedics responded to 1,373 calls with that figure expected to increase, according to Melling. He estimated that at least half of the runs paramedics responded to last year were the difference between life or death for patients.

Melling proposed a solution to the funding problem at the advisory meeting saying if paramedics charged a flat fee to the Basic Life Support (BLS) EMS units, this could be a big help to the crisis. Those units would be Batesville Rescue 10, Sunman Rescue 20, Milan Rescue 30, and Versailles (Rescue 69). Under the new plan, each time the paramedics were called to help with a transport they would bill the agency they assist $100.00. If their services were used, but weren't required to help in the transport, the units would only be billed $50.00. Using the 2004 figures, the paramedic system would have generated $102,525 from the proposed plan.

Expenses to operate the paramedic system in 2005 is projected to be $332,000.

While county officials are in a dilemma about coming up with extra money, Melling says he believes his proposal of billing the other squads could be one possible solutions to the crisis.

Ripley County's paramedic team consists of Melling, his wife, Stacy, who volunteers; Don Bowman, Jennifer Frye, Scott Huffman, Susan Carey and Mike Sieverding.