HomeMy WebLinkAboutORD 5677CITY OF RENTON, WASHINGTON
ORDINANCE NO. 5677
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF RENTON, WASHINGTON, AMENDING TITLE V
(FINANCE AND BUSINESS REGULATIONS) OF ORDINANCE NO. 4260 ENTITLED
"CODE OF GENERAL ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF RENTON, WASHINGTON", BY
ADDING A NEW CHAPTER 24, ENTITLED "BASIC LIFE SUPPORT EMERGENCY
MEDICAL SERVICES TRANSPORT USER FEE".
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF RENTON, WASHINGTON, DOES ORDAIN AS
FOLLOWS:
SECTION I. Title V (Finance and Business Regulations) of Ordinance No. 4260 entitled
"Code of General Ordinances of the City of Renton, Washington", is hereby amended to add a
new Chapter 24, to be entitled "Basic Life Support Emergency Medical Services Transport User
Fee", to read as follows:
CHAPTER 24
BASIC LIFE SUPPORT EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES TRANSPORT USER FEE
SECTION:
5-24-1 BLS Transport User Fee Imposed
5-24-2 Medicare and Medicaid
5-24-3 Policv and Financial Assistance
5-24-1 BLS TRANSPORT USER FEE IMPOSED:
A. Effective September 1, 2013, all persons receiving basic life support
emergency medical services transport ("BLS transport") by the City shall be
charged and billed a BLS transport user fee ("the fee"). The initial fee is set at six
hundred dollars ($600.00) per transport plus fourteen dollars ($14.00) per mile.
The fee may be adjusted in the future as necessary by the City Council as set
forth in the City of Renton's Fee Schedule. The Administrative Services
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ORDINANCE NO. 5677
Administrator or his/her designee shall establish a procedure to bill and collect
BLS transport fees. The City may contract with a billing service and/or collection
agency to bill and collect the same.
B. A resident of the City who supplies the City with the medical insurance
information and documentation needed to bill his or her insurance provider(s)
for the fee and who assigns his or her insurance benefits for the same to the City
shall not be billed for that portion of the fee that is in excess of amounts paid by
his or her insurer(s).
C. A nonresident who supplies the City with the medical insurance
information and documentation needed to bill his or her insurance provider(s)
for the fee and who assigns his or her insurance benefits for the same to the City
shall be billed for that portion of the fee that is in excess of amounts paid by his
or her insurer(s).
D. A person, regardless of residence, who does not supply the City with the
medical insurance information and documentation needed to bill his or her
insurance provider(s) or who fails to assign such benefits to the City because he
or she is unwilling, or because he or she does not have any type of insurance
coverage for such charges, shall be billed for the entire fee.
E. The fee herein imposed shall not apply to persons who reside in
jurisdictions that impose a Fire Benefit Charge and contract with the City for Fire
and Emergency Services.
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F. The use of the term "insurance" or any variation thereof in this section
shall include Medicare and Medicaid.
G. The use of the term "BLS transport" in this section shall mean:
transportation by ground ambulance vehicle and the provision of medically
necessary supplies and services, including BLS ambulance services as defined by
the state (Chapter 18.73 RCW, now or as hereafter amended). The ambulance
must be staffed by an individual who is qualified in accordance with state and
local laws as an emergency medical technician basic (EMT basic). Basic
emergency medical technicians perform non-invasive, basic emergency
treatment.
H. The use of the term "resident" in this section shall mean: a person whose
principal place of residence is, or who is an employee of a business, located
within the boundaries of the City or within the extended City fire service area.
I. The use of the term "extended City fire service area" in this section shall
include the contract communities of King County Fire Protection Districts 25 and
5-24-2 MEDICARE AND MEDICAID:
Charges for the BLS transport user fee authorized by this Chapter shall be
construed and implemented in a manner consistent with Medicare and Medicaid
requirements, when applicable. If any method or procedures authorized by this
Chapter for the purpose of establishing, implementing, imposing or collecting
charges for BLS transport is found to conflict with Medicare and or Medicaid
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requirements, the conflicting part of this Chapter shall be inoperative to the
extent the same conflicts with Medicare and/or Medicaid requirements. The
operation of the remainder of this Chapter shall remain unaffected.
5-24-3 POLICY AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE:
A. It is the City's policy that ability to pay is not a condition of BLS transport
service. All aspects of emergency medical services the City currently provides,
including BLS transport, shall be provided to all patients without discrimination
toward those with no ability or inadequate means to pay.
B. The Administrative Services Administrator or his/her designee shall
establish a program consistent with criteria and rules set forth in WAC 246-453-
001 through 246-453-060, now or as hereafter amended, to provide financial
assistance and debt forgiveness to persons that do not have the ability to pay for
some or all of the fee.
SECTION II. All ordinances or parts of ordinances of the City of Renton in conflict
herewith, and the same, are hereby repealed.
SECTION III. If any section, sentence, clause or phase of this ordinance should be held
to be invalid or unconstitutional by a court of competent jurisdiction, such invalidity or
unconstitutionality shall not affect the validity or constitutionality of any section, sentence,
clause, or phrase of this ordinance.
SECTION IV. This ordinance shall be effective September 1, 2013.
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PASSED BY THE CITY COUNCIL this 3rd day of December 2Q12.
Bonnie I. Walton, City Clerk
APPROVED BY THE MAYOR this 3rd day of December , 2012.
Approved as to form:
Lawrence J. Warren, City Attorney
Date of Publication: 12/7/2012 ( summary)
ORD:1777:10/29/12:scr
Denis Law, Mayor
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