The Blacksburg Town Council has voted to pass Ordinance 2030, an ordinance to authorize charges for usage of emergency medical service vehicles like ambulances.
Angelica Ramos
Contributing Writer
BLACKSBURG- The Blacksburg Town Council has voted to pass Ordinance 2030, an ordinance to authorize charges for usage of emergency medical service vehicles like ambulances.
The ordinance was voted on during the Blacksburg Town Council’s Nov. 12, 2024 meeting. The amendment it addressed was Town Code section 17-400 and added in a new town code amendment named 17-402. The ordinance states, “Over the past year, the Town of Blacksburg has reviewed the possibility of imposing reasonable charges for the use of emergency medical services vehicles, as permitted by Virginia Code § 32.1-111.14, and now finds that such charges are necessary, based on increasing call volumes and costs, to assure the provision of adequate and continuing emergency medical services and to preserve, protect and promote the public health, safety and general welfare.”
David English, Chief of Blacksburg Volunteer Rescue Squad, explained the ordinance would allow what is called EMS Revenue Recovery, a program which gleans reimbursement for the usage of emergency medical transport vehicles and allows the charging of a patient’s health insurance. English’s presentation explained the need for this program is integral because over the past 10 years emergency transport vehicle calls have increased by 40% , the population of Blacksburg is growing and costs of services, like their in-house pharmacy program, have grown. English explained a resident of Montgomery County will not be billed for the use of EMS services, but instead, their insurance will be billed so that residents do not have to pay out-of-pocket or expect a bill at all. Non-Montgomery County residents would expect a bill, however. English explained, “approximately 90% of the patients transported are considered residents.” This includes Virginia Tech students.
“So how would it work,” English explained, “essentially from the user end or from the patient end, somebody that needs our service, really we wouldn’t want to see much of anything change so they would still call EMS as they normally would. And I think the most important thing of all of this is that no one would ever be denied services, whether it’s treatment or transport based on their ability to pay or their insurance. In fact, we’re not even really asking about that stuff when we go to see them. So, when we show up we’re not asking for their insurance card. We’re just taking care of them, getting them where they need to be, and then the hospitals collect all of that information and so we would work with the hospitals. And then really the only difference from the patient standpoint is that we would explain that to them during the trip, if they were able to understand that. So, the patient would be transported to the hospital, the insurance information is collected from the hospitals, and then you know if the patient is not transported, because this is really just revenue recovery for the transports, so if they’re not being transported then there would be no bill to them or to insurance at all.”
Town council members had many questions, such as how Virginia Tech students count as Montgomery County residents, but as long as they reside in Montgomery County, they’d fall under this ordinance. However, they’d disclose this information in the ambulance or as they are being transported, if possible, which Council Member Liam Watson pointed out, “that seems like a tough time to kind of suss out what somebody’s residence is.”
Watson expressed deep concern with the ordinance and ultimately voted against it because of his concern for the uninsured and those already reluctant to call for EMS services due to the cost of healthcare even with insurance.
Watson released a statement regarding his vote on Nov. 13, 2024, saying, “In an economic environment where so many families in our community are struggling to make ends meet, it is wildly irresponsible of this council to vote to charge folks — in some cases more than $1,200 — for lifesaving medical care. It is an undeniable fact that last night’s vote will result in fewer people in our community seeking emergency medical services, which will be disastrous for our neighbors experiencing life-or-death medical emergencies.”
The council passed the ordinance with a 6-1 vote, with Watson as the dissenting vote.
“I have a responsibility,” Watson’s statement reads, “— as a leader, as a Catholic, and as a human being — to look out for my neighbors who, like me, would struggle to pay an ambulance bill and may decide not to seek life-saving medical attention.”
