HomeMy WebLinkAbout97-31 - Paramedic Service FeesRESOLUTION NO. 97 -31
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A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY
OF NEWPORT BEACH APPROVING PARAMEDIC SERVICE
FEES PURSUANT TO CHAPTER 5.60 OF THE NEWPORT
BEACH MUNICIPAL CODE.
WHEREAS, the City Council is authorized, pursuant to Chapter
5.60 of the Newport Beach Municipal Code, to establish, by
resolution, fees and charges for the provision of paramedic or
emergency medical services; and
WHEREAS, the City of Newport Beach has, since 1975,
maintained and operated a paramedic service program designed to
provide emergency medical services for residents of, employees in,
• or visitors to, Newport Beach; and
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WHEREAS, the City of Newport Beach currently maintains two
paramedic units and also provides emergency medical services by
way of the fire engine closest to the call for service; and
WHEREAS, the City of Newport Beach desires to provide
Emergency ambulance transportation services as a component of a
comprehensive EMS system; and
WHEREAS, the City of Newport Beach, through mutual aid
agreements, provides emergency medical services to, and receives
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emergency medical services from, nearby public entities such as
• Costa Mesa, Irvine and the County of Orange; and
WHEREAS, General Fund revenues currently defray a portion of
the cost of providing emergency medical and paramedic services;
and
WHEREAS, informal surveys suggest that 50% of the calls for
emergency medical services are from non - residents; and
WHEREAS, the City of Newport Beach faces significant and long
term reductions in revenue and may be forced to reduce its
capability to provide paramedic and emergency medical services in
• the absence of the fees authorized by this Resolution; and
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WHEREAS, the revenue generated by the fees established in
this Resolution will be used solely to maintain and enhance the
City's ability to provide paramedic and emergency medical service
and emergency ambulance transportation service within Newport
Beach and in neighboring jurisdictions pursuant to mutual aid
agreements.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the
City of Newport Beach as follows:
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SECTION 1: Purpose. This Resolution establishes a paramedic
• service fee program. The basic concept of this program is to
establish reasonable charges for all recipients of Basic Life
Support, Advanced Life Support and emergency ambulance
transportation services provided by the Newport Beach Fire and
Marine Department and offer a mechanism for residents and
businesses to cap their emergency medical service and emergency
ambulance transportation costs while supporting the City's
paramedic system. The fees and charges authorized by this
resolution are intended to defray the costs of providing paramedic
and emergency ambulance transportation services within the City of
Newport Beach. The fees and charges authorized by this Resolution
shall be used solely to maintain and enhance the City's ability to
• provide paramedic and emergency medical services and emergency
ambulance transportation services. In the absence of the
paramedic service fee program, paramedic and emergency medical
services could be curtailed or eliminated given the significant
long term reductions in municipal revenue occasioned by State
withholding of property tax revenues traditionally allocated to
cities and counties.
SECTION 2: Definitions. For the purposes of this
Resolution, the following terms shall be defined as provided in
this Section:
(a) "Advanced Life Support or ALS" shall mean any advanced
life support medical treatment performed by paramedics
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(EMT -P) outside of a hospital. This treatment shall
• follow the current "Advanced Life Support Treatment
Guidelines" as specified by the Orange County Emergency
Medical Services Agency.
(b) "Basic Life Support or BLS" shall mean any basic life
support treatment which is authorized by the State of
California Department of Health to be performed by
emergency medical technicians 1 (EMT -1) and /or
paramedics (EMT -P) at the scene of a medical emergency.
(c) "Paramedic Subscription Program or Program" shall mean a
voluntary membership where members shall prepay at a
fixed price, the uninsured portion of emergency medical
and emergency ambulance transportation services provided
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by the Newport Fire and Marine Department.
(d)
"Member" shall mean any person eligible to participate
in the Paramedic Subscription Program and for whom the
Subscription Fee has been paid.
(e)
"Resident Member" shall mean any person eligible to
participate in the Paramedic Subscription Program
because of their status as a guest, or visitor of a
resident in the City of Newport Beach and for whom the
Subscription Fee has been paid.
(f)
"Business Member" shall mean any person eligible to
participate in the Paramedic Subscription Program
because they are the owner, operator, employee, customer
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or volunteer of a business located in the City of
isNewport Beach, and for whom the Subscription Fee has
been paid.
(g) "Subscription Fee" shall mean the annual fee, as
established by resolution of the City Council which,
when paid, entitles eligible persons to participate in
the Paramedic Subscription Program and receive BLS, ALS,
ar emergency ambulance transportation services, or other
benefits as approved by the City Council without payment
of Normal Charges.
(h) "Non- member" shall mean any person who is not eligible
to participate in the Paramedic Subscription Program or
any eligible person for whom the Subscription Fee has
isnot been paid.
(i) "Normal Charges" or "Charges" shall mean the fee to be
paid by any Non - member who receives BLS, ALS or
emergency ambulance transportation services initiated
within the City of Newport Beach and the fees to be paid
by Business Members who receive BLS, ALS, or emergency
ambulance transportation services initiated within the
City of Newport Beach at a location other than their
workplace.
(j) "Municipal Services Statement" shall mean the bill for
water, sewer and other municipal services issued by the
City of Newport Beach on a bi- monthly basis.
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(k) "Business" shall mean any corporation, partnership,
• company, business, association, organization or other
entity with a workplace located in the City of Newport
Beach.
(1) "Medical Supplies" shall mean all non - reusable supplies
used by patients during ALS or BLS treatment, including
but not limited to; IV, tubing and solution, airways,
cervical collars, pain medications or other drugs.
(m) "Emergency ambulance transportation services" means
transportation by an ambulance of one or more patients
in response to an emergency giving rise to the need for
basic or advanced life support services. This
transportation may require Code 3 response (red lights
• and siren).
SECTION 3: Payment for Services. Non - members receiving BLS,
ALS, or emergency ambulance transportation services within the
City of Newport Beach shall pay or Normal Charges as specified in
this Resolution. In no event shall any person be denied BLS, ALS,
or emergency ambulance transportation services because of the
inability, or failure, to pay the Paramedic Subscription Fee or
Normal Charges required by this Resolution. Members receiving BLS,
ALS, or emergency ambulance transportation services within the
City of Newport Beach shall have their payment for services
adjusted as described under Member Benefits.
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SECTION 4: Paramedic Subscription Program.
• A. Eliaibility. The Paramedic Subscription Program is open
to residents and businesses located within the City of Newport
Beach and other persons deemed eligible by regulation promulgated
by the City Manager.
B. Enrollment. Any eligible person who enrolls shall become
a member immediately upon receipt of payment. The member shall not
be required to pay the Normal charges for emergency medical care
and emergency ambulance transportation services for the next 12
months.
C. Member Benefits.
Member's subscription fee is considered as
prepayment of the uninsured portion of BLS charges,
• ALS charges, and emergency ambulance transportation
charges.
Members, guests, customers, patrons, visitors, or
others using the facilities of a member's household
or business shall not be charged directly for
emergency medical care and emergency ambulance
transportation services if they agree to assign any
applicable benefits of any insurance policy to the
City for services provided.
D. Paramedic Subscription Fees.
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(i) The annual Paramedic Subscription Fee for a
• Resident Member shall be $42.00 for 12 months'
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coverage;
(ii)
The annual Paramedic Subscription Fee for a
Business Member shall be $42.00 for 12 months'
coverage, provided, however, for businesses with
more than the Business Member and ten eligible
employees, the annual Subscription Fee shall be an
additional $12.00 for each additional group of up
to ten employees, to a maximum of $210.00.
E. Payment
of Fees.
(i)
Paramedic Subscription Fees for Resident Members
shall be paid as follows:
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(a) The payment of $42.00 upon enrollment or
renewal;
(b) In the event a Municipal Services Statement
is sent to the dwelling unit of the Resident
Member, the payment of that portion of the
annual Paramedic Subscription Fee on or
before the due date shown on the statement.
(ii)
Paramedic Subscription Fees for Business Members
shall be paid as follows:
(a) The payment of the required annual Paramedic
Subscription Fees upon enrollment or renewal;
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(b) In the event a Municipal Services Statement
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is sent to the workplace, the payment of that
portion of the annual Paramedic Subscription
Fee shown on the Municipal Services Statement
on or before the due date shown on the
statement.
Health insurance carriers for resident and
business members will also be billed for
charges for replacement of medical supplies
at cost plus 30 percent.
F. Termination
of MembershiU. Membership may terminate in
the event
of any of the following:
(i)
The City Council of the City of Newport Beach
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terminates or modifies the Paramedic
Subscription Program through rescission or
amendment of this Resolution, or a successor
resolution, in which event the City shall
refund, on a prorata basis, the unused
portion of the Member's Paramedic
Subscription Fee;
(ii)
Failure to pay the Paramedic Subscription Fee
on or before the due date shown on the
Municipal Services Statement. Membership may
be reinstated if, at any time the Paramedic
Subscription Fee for that Member is paid.
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(iii) The member gives written notification of
• cancellation. Fees paid will be refunded upon
request, on a prorated basis.
SECTION 5: Normal Charges. The charges for rendering
emergency medical services to Non - members shall be as specified in
this Section:
(a) For emergencies requiring BLS by paramedics and /or EMT -
1, the charge shall be $150.00 per response;
(b) For emergencies requiring ALS by paramedics, the charge
shall be $250.00 per response;
(c) For replacement of medical supplies the charge shall be
cost plus 30 percent.
(d) These charges shall be adjusted on July 1, 1994, and on
. the 1st of July of each succeeding year to reflect the
increase or decrease in the Consumer Price Index, as
more clearly specified in regulations adopted by the
City Manager, for each 12 month period (commencing April
1st and terminating March 30th) preceding the adjustment
date.
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(e) For emergencies requiring Emergency ambulance
transportation services, the City Council shall by
resolution establish a schedule of rates which shall be
applicable to all ambulance operators as identified in
Section 5.14.090 of the Newport Beach Municipal Code.
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SECTION 6: Implementation. The City Manager shall have the
• authority to promulgate regulations necessary or appropriate to
the administration of the Paramedic Subscription Program, the
provision of services described in this Resolution, or the billing
or collection of charges due for the provision of emergency
medical services.
SECTION 7: Resolution No. 94 -98 is hereby repealed and
rescinded.
ADOPTED, this 14th day of April , 1997.
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ATTEST:
City Clerk
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STATE OF CALIFORNIA }
COUNTY OF ORANGE } ss.
CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH }
I, LAVONNE M. HARKLESS, City Clerk of the City of Newport Beach, California, do
hereby certify that the whole number of members of the City Council is seven; that the foregoing
resolution, being Resolution No. 97 -31, was duly and regularly introduced before and adopted by the
City Council of said City at a regular meeting of said Council, duly and regularly held on the 14th
day of April, 1997, and that the same was so passed and adopted by the following vote, to wit:
Ayes: O'Neil, Thomson, Edwards, Noyes, and Mayor Debay
Noes: None
Absent: Hedges, Glover
Abstain: None
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto subscribed my name and affixed the
official seal of said City this 15th day of April, 1997.
(Seal)
City Clerk of the City of
Newport Beach, California