Kalispell Increases Ambulance Fees to Address Mounting Costs

Hoping to eliminate the city’s subsidy of its emergency medical services and address mounting costs, the Kalispell City Council approved a rate increase for ambulance patients.

The council unanimously voted to hike fees for the variety of emergency medical services provided by the Kalispell Fire Department. The council also approved a new measure that now charges higher fees for people living outside city limits who do not pay property taxes in Kalispell. The rates will increase annually based on the latest Consumer Price Index, which measures changes in market costs.

The increases impact a wide range of services for the treatment and transportation of those who are sick or injured. For basic emergency life support, the cost will rise from $700 to $913.54 for city residents and $1,163.54 for non-residents. The cost of advanced life support 1 will jump from $880 to $1,072.77 for residents and $1,322.77 for non-residents. Basic treatment that does not require an ambulance ride, which previously did not come at a price, will now cost $101.30 for residents and $351.30 for nonresidents.

The increases are the first since 2009 and aim to eliminate growing cost overruns in the fire department that are then covered, or subsidized, by Kalispell’s general fund.

City Manager Doug Russell said the new rate structure would allow the fire department to meet its operating costs and provide for future capital needs, such as equipment.

Councilor Phil Guiffrida said he supported the increases because the previous rate structure put a heavier burden on residents who pay the same price as non-residents while also covering any further subsidy through property taxes. The new rate structure will also allow the fire department to “provide a level of service we want for our constituents,” Guiffrida said.

Richard Hull, a resident of Kalispell, voiced his opposition during the Jan. 19 meeting, saying the increases will impact insurance rates.

“Ambulance calls are extremely expensive,” Richard Hull said. “You need to think more about the public and what you’re providing rather than making this into a business decision.”

City leavers have grappled with the EMS program in recent years as call loads continue to rise annually and deferred capital improvement projects stack up.

Kalispell is the only remaining large city in Montana with a public EMS program; others have turned to privatized services.

City officials have debated the possibility of privatizing its EMS program but opted against it, saying the current setup provides a quality service that is reasonably priced for residents.

The city proposed a mill levy in 2014 that sought $736,000 annually. Voters narrowly rejected the request by 188 votes, with 3,101 against — 52 percent — and 2,913 in favor.

The number of calls the fire department received increased 3 percent in 2015 over the previous year, according to Chief Dave Dedman.