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May 18, 2004EMMET: EMS in a financial pinchIt may have to ask for bailout or even millageByRecord-Eagle staff writer PETOSKEY - Emmet County's cash-strapped ambulance service may require a $150,000 bailout from county commissioners to break even this year, and it may seek a countywide millage to provide more stable funding for the future. Allied EMS officials met Monday with the commissioners' finance committee to discuss options, including a possible millage request as soon as the Aug. 2 primary. "We don't want to get to the point where we're faced with having to cut any services," Allied executive director David Slifka said. "People assume that you pick up the phone and call and an ambulance is going to be there. We want to continue to provide that." He blamed the financial crunch on rising costs and lagging reimbursements from Medicare and Medicaid, Slifka said. Last year, Allied responded to 1,910 emergencies, had 466 transfers and 446 calls where transports were not ultimately made, he said. Almost 70 percent of Allied's runs required advanced life support services, such as administering drugs and applying heart monitors, Slifka said. Allied charges a $689 base fee for advanced runs but receives only $293 in reimbursement from Medicare, he said. For non-advanced life support runs, Allied charges $584 and gets $195 in Medicare reimbursement, he said. "Last year, 69 percent of our clientele (paid through) Medicare and Medicaid," he said. "It leaves us in a quandary as to how we are going to cover those expenses." Commission chairman James Tamlyn said he expects the county board will approve putting a millage request to voters. Having a reliable, responsive emergency medical service available for residents and area visitors is paramount, he said. "This system saves lives, all the time," he said. "Somehow you have to ensure that when you need that ambulance, it arrives. It is very important. It is life-and-death important."
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