An EMS transport fee will raise $14-$17 million a year in revenue that will be dedicated to maintaining and enhancing Montgomery County’s world-class emergency medical services.

County residents will not pay anything under the new fee. The fee will be billed directly to residents’ insurance companies, which have already factored the cost of patient transport into their rate schedules. The fee will be waived for uninsured residents.

Montgomery County is one of the few jurisdictions in the region that is not already (or in the process of) collecting an EMS fee from insurance companies. Fairfax County collects the fee, as well as Frederick, Prince George’s, Carroll, Charles, Arlington, and Washington counties. Cities such as Alexandria, Baltimore, and the District of Columbia also collect the fee.

There is no evidence that those in need of transport will be dissuaded from calling 911 because their insurance is going to be billed or because they are uninsured. In the jurisdictions that have been collecting this fee, there is no evidence of that happening. Montgomery County will fund a public education campaign to make sure that residents know there are no charges to them for emergency medical services and no changes in service.

There is no evidence that EMS transport fees will raise insurance rates. Ambulance bills are in the “hundreds” of dollars, compared to hospital, physician, surgeon, rehab, device, and drug bills, which are typically in the “thousands and tens of thousands.” Ambulance expenditures account for less than 1 percent of insurance expenditures. Since most insurance companies determine rates on a regional basis – and most jurisdictions in the region bill insurance companies for this charge -- in most cases County residents may already be paying for ambulance service as a part of their premiums.

The quality of patient care will continue to be the highest priority for Montgomery County’s Fire & Rescue Service. A resident’s ability or non-ability to pay will never be considered when providing service.

When a resident makes that 911 call, the first priority will be to take care of that patient’s immediate medical needs. If deemed necessary, the patient will be transported to the hospital. If not, the EMS fee will not be charged to the insurance company.