Riverhead Volunteer Ambulance Corps will begin billing insurance companies for rides

In 2015, the Riverhead Volunteer Ambulance Corps began charging auto insurance carriers when it transported people to a hospital due to car accidents. 

Now, it’s proposing to go to the next step by billing medical insurers for all other ambulance services in Riverhead that involve transporting people to a hospital. 

“What we’re here to talk about this morning is something that, unfortunately, has come to be in need of many ambulances and fire districts, not only Long Island but in New York State and nationwide,” Riverhead Councilman Tim Hubbard said at last Thursday’s Town Board work session. 

“Funds have depleted over the years for various things, and but the cost of doing business is so expensive,” he said. 

Mr. Hubbard said the RVAC pays $10,000 a month for fuel and responds to more than 5,000 calls a year.

Stretchers cost about $20,000 apiece, he added, and the price of latex gloves “has gone though the roof.”

In addition, Mr. Hubbard noted, pricing for the monitors used in ambulances, which cost $30,000 each five years ago, has skyrocketed to $55,000 today.

“Unfortunately, we have to get the money from somewhere,” said RVAC district manager Patrick Gugliotta, . He said that people are already paying for insurance premiums already.

“People are paying for insurance premiums already, so the billing that we are looking to use is essentially the same as the motor vehicle accident billing,” Mr. Gugliotta said. “We are looking to bill the insurance companies to cover some of the cost that we are incurring when we’re doing ambulance alarms.”

Mr. Hubbard said the billing for car accidents “has brought in a decent source [of revenue] to offset the tax burden to the taxpayers.” 

He said billing for all ambulance calls “will be a really good shot in the arm, because it would allow you to purchase the necessary equipment that you need.”

“We’re not looking to do anything to the taxpayers,” Mr. Gugliotta said. “We’re here to help financially and, if we can, medically. Our business is helping people. We certainly don’t want to put anybody in a jam financially.” 

“We take all our patients to the closest appropriate facility,” said RVAC president Garrett Lake. “Major trauma, pediatric, will go to Stony Brook. But if you have a stubbed toe, we’re probably not taking you to Stony Brook.” 

The ambulance corps gets paid “per loaded mile,” Mr. Gugliotta said. “We don’t get paid going to the alarm but we will get paid from the time we picked the patient up to the time to the time we drop the patient off.”

“No one should be afraid to call an ambulance,” Mr. Lake said. “We’re not going to come and take anything from you.”

The ambulance is required by law to make three attempts to collect a bill.

In a recent letter to “friends and neighbors,” the RVAC board of directors wrote: “Although we never planned to take this course of action, billing insurance companies for ambulance service has became the ‘status quo’ throughout the United States and New York State. Recently, New York State passed legislation allowing fire departments to also begin billing for ambulance transports.”

The letter continued: “We also cannot stress enough that the Riverhead Volunteer Ambulance Corps will respond to every call for help and treat every patient in need regardless of whether they have medical insurance.”