WTAE Shows 25% of Ambulance Calls Unpaid
WTAE Pittsburgh’s Action News recently published a great video investigative piece by Paul Van Osdol on the realities of ambulance funding.
So who pays for these and other non-transport calls?
“The folks that go to the hospital end up paying for the 25 percent that we don’t transport,” Porter said.
But even that does not cover the entire cost, and as a result, ambulance companies are hurting.
A survey of Allegheny County EMS services found 75 percent of them are losing money. On average, they collect only 43 percent of the amount they bill.
“That is frightening when you think about the EMS system as a whole,” Porter said. “The risk is burnout of EMS crews, overworked EMS crews, delayed response time, inadequately trained staff.”
Read the full article, and see their fantastic video, over at WTAE.com.