Effective May 1, 2021, the St. Mary’s County Government will begin recouping costs of emergency services through a system of billing insurance carriers. County residents are not responsible for paying for services, insurance carriers, Medicare and Medicaid are billed.
Fees will be based on services rendered and have been set by the Commissioners of St. Mary’s County.
Billing questions should be directed to the Quick Med Claims Patient Services Team at 866-397-0911.
Why is emergency medical services billing now happening? For decades, St. Mary’s County volunteers have been able to keep pace with the demand for emergency services. Unfortunately, COVID-19 has impacted our volunteer personnel, subsequently decreasing our ability to provide volunteer staffing of critical ambulance services. Emergency medical services are critical to every member of our community’s health, safety, and welfare. To ensure that these services are always available for those in need, the Commissioners of St. Mary’s County provided funding to hire Emergency Medical Services personnel as county employees. These highly skilled persons are assigned in partnership with the various rescue squads, ensuring adequate staffing of our ambulances. To ensure adequate funding is available for this critically important public service, the Commissioners of St. Mary’s County and all seven Volunteer Rescue Squads entered into Memorandums of Understanding (MOU). These MOU’s authorize St. Mary’s County Government, going forward, to bill insurance companies for emergency medical services.
Will I get a bill if I call 911? A bill will be issued to you and your insurance provider for ambulance costs under Medicare rules. Your insurance provider is required to pay; you are not. St. Mary’s County Government operates under a compassionate billing structure that provides waivers for those unable to pay for emergency service billing costs.
What happens if my insurance company doesn’t pay for my ambulance transport? St. Mary’s County Government EMS Billing has a compassionate billing plan that accounts for financial hardships and will grant waivers of fees/charges for those who don’t have insurance coverage and/or are unable to pay.
Aren’t my taxes paying for Emergency Medical Services? St. Mary’s County taxes will continue to go toward the costs of the county emergency services; the bills for services we are implementing will assist with supplemental staffing in each of the county volunteer rescue squads.
Do non-county residents have to pay for ambulance transport? Non-county residents and their insurance providers will be billed for emergency services.
How much will my insurance carrier get billed? The amount billed will depend on the services required to ensure appropriate care is provided to anyone who needs help in St. Mary’s County. Fees are based on the level of care required at the time of the emergency. The Commissioners approved the fee schedule of services.
If my insurance company gets a bill, will my premiums go up? No. These types of costs are already included in premiums set by most insurance companies.
Is this taking money away from the Rescue Squads? No. This system will provide additional resources for County Volunteer Rescue Squads to subsidize and improve existing services. The volunteer rescue squad funding mechanism remains unchanged.
Is this hurting St. Mary’s County EMS Volunteers? No, it supports them. All St. Mary’s County Rescue Squads voted favorably to implement this system.
Who should I contact if I get a bill and have questions? To question a bill, contact our Patient Services team at 1-866-397-0911.
Is there anything different I will now see during my interaction with EMS? The ambulance crew will ask you to sign a form (either paper or on a computer tablet) that acknowledges you were treated in an emergency. This signed form allows for billing to your insurance as is required by Federal guidelines and verifies your receipt of the County’s HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices (HIPAA NPP). If you, as the patient, are unable to sign due to your emergency, a family member or other person may sign on your behalf. If you are unable to sign at the time of your emergency and no one can sign for you, a form will be sent in the mail for you to sign and return.
