Georgia county approves crash fee for extrication

[MMiz]

Ga. county approves crash fee for extrication

December 28, 2009 (DECATUR, Ga.) -- Some victims of car crashes in Georgia will soon have to pay a $250 fee for the first time.

DeKalb County has adopted the fee for anyone who needs to be extricated from a crash by the county's fire department. Previously, the service was free.

Read more

 

[High Speed Chaser]

I strongly disagree with this. Does that mean that people who don't have a spare $250 are left in their vehicle?

 

[MrBrown]

Likewise, I strongly disagree with this.

 

[reaper]

A lot of services have been doing this for years. Most Insurance comanies pay $100 for services at a wreck scene.

 

[lightsandsirens5]

I strongly disagree with this. Does that mean that people who don't have a spare $250 are left in their vehicle?

Does it mean that people who don't have a spare $600 are left lying on their living room floor with a broken hip?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I agree with it in some ways.

Also, how does the FD get funds? From your taxes. Want your taxes raised? Didn't think so.

And here in washington at least. Any traffic situation you get in, the State Trooper or Sheriff's Deputy will be writing you a little love note, errrrrr.......I mean traffic citation. Even if you are borded and strapped to my gurney.

 

[EMSLaw]

I strongly disagree with this. Does that mean that people who don't have a spare $250 are left in their vehicle?

Does it mean that people who don't have a spare $600 are left lying on their living room floor with a broken hip?

In both cases I expect that the provider will initially bill your insurance company, and if you are uninsured, send you a bill for their services.

The FD here, though, is charging for a service that is historically provided at government expense. We pay taxes to support the FD so that when we have need of them, they are there - even in NJ, which has mostly volunteer FDs, we pay a fire district tax (which is why they get way more new fire engines than we get new ambulances).

If my house were on fire, I would not expect a bill for having it extinguished. If I were robbed, I would not expect the police to bill me for the investigation. Providing these sorts of services is why, at the most basic level, we have a government.

 

[Chimpie]

I'm sure there will be some sort of way to get out of paying if you can prove that you don't have the money.

Or the insurance companies will have to cough up the money, which means your rates will most likely go up.

 

[MedicineMan975]

Ga. county approves crash fee for extrication

December 28, 2009 (DECATUR, Ga.) -- Some victims of car crashes in Georgia will soon have to pay a $250 fee for the first time.

DeKalb County has adopted the fee for anyone who needs to be extricated from a crash by the county's fire department. Previously, the service was free.

Read more

Bound to happen sooner or later, might as well be now. Seems like reaper and lights&sirens said it best, pay now or pay later. Insurance pays out or the tax payer does. Either way, somebody is gonna have to wet their beak.

 

[CAOX3]

I strongly disagree with this. Does that mean that people who don't have a spare $250 are left in their vehicle?

Yup raise the funds or lie dying in your crumpled car?

 

[firetender]

When the paramedic program first got started in Florida (mid-1970's) the private company I worked for charged $73.00 for a fully-treated cardiac arrest! The price included unlimited defibrillations, but, unfortunately, did not include the usual mileage charges!

For about six months the paramedics were REQUIRED to collect 50% of the ambulance bill in the Emergency Room, preferably IN CASH! in some cases -- like failure -- there we were, Death and Taxes on wheels!

With that background, and knowing nobody'd get away with that today, I'd say the $250 charge makes sense. Obviously, this would not mean at the time of service; they'd be billed and could weasel out if that's their desire.

But then again, even I wouldn't :censored::censored::censored::censored::censored: about having to pay to get my butt extricated from a steel and plastic coffin! My only worry would be to hear, "Sure, the 250 covers raising the car and getting it off your chest. For an extra fifty, we can make sure it doesn't drop back on you as we slide you out on the backboard!"

 

[firetender]

When the paramedic program first got started in Florida (mid-1970's) the private company I worked for charged $73.00 for a fully-treated cardiac arrest! The price included unlimited defibrillations, but, unfortunately, did not include the usual mileage charges!

For about six months the paramedics were REQUIRED to collect 50% of the ambulance bill in the Emergency Room, preferably IN CASH! in some cases -- like failure -- there we were, Death and Taxes on wheels!

With that background, and knowing nobody'd get away with that today, I'd say the $250 charge makes sense. Obviously, this would not mean at the time of service; they'd be billed and could weasel out if that's their desire.

But then again, even I wouldn't carp about having to pay to get my butt extricated from a steel and plastic coffin! My only worry would be to hear, "Sure, the 250 covers raising the car and getting it off your chest. For an extra fifty, we can make sure it doesn't drop back on you as we slide you out on the backboard!"

 

[CAOX3]

What would suck is if payment was due at time of service

 

[MrBrown]

Denver did something recently like this, if you were not from Denver the fire department charged you for vehicle extrication.

You don't necessarily have to raise taxes, it depends all where those taxes are going. Who is to say the mayor doesn't have a coke habit to support or that they didn't spend a million dollars unnecessarily replacing those 2008 fire trucks with 2010 models .... now why wouldnt that suprise me?

 

[JPINFV]

So... everyone who's crying that people are billed for extracation works for free, right?

 

[Jon]

Around me, many of the fire companies are combination EMS/FD and combination paid and volunteer, supported with some tax money and a lot of donations, EMS billing, and other fundraisers (Bingo, Pancake Breakfasts, Spaghetti Dinners, and Turkey Raffles)

In this lovely financial climate, the townships are cutting their "donations" to the local volunteer fire companies in many places.

If the auto insurance companies will pay $100-200 for auto extrication and/or debris clean up, why not go for it. We need to put fuel in rigs, replace the Oil Dry, and service equipment... not even thinking about the long term things, like paying for the next rescue truck or Hurst equipment.

 

[High Speed Chaser]

Does it mean that people who don't have a spare $600 are left lying on their living room floor with a broken hip?

I don't agree with that either , I prefer EMS and rescue to be free-ish service as a basic right to all who live in a country, supported by the government and be payed for by taxes or by a set yearly membership fee (latter being done where I am).

 

[rescue99]

A lot of services have been doing this for years. Most Insurance comanies pay $100 for services at a wreck scene.

Yep, been this way for a quarter century . My how time does fly!

 

[Jeffrey_169]

Does it mean that people who don't have a spare $600 are left lying on their living room floor with a broken hip?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I agree with it in some ways.

Also, how does the FD get funds? From your taxes. Want your taxes raised? Didn't think so.

And here in washington at least. Any traffic situation you get in, the State Trooper or Sheriff's Deputy will be writing you a little love note, errrrrr.......I mean traffic citation. Even if you are borded and strapped to my gurney.

The gov't can spend BILLIONS of dollars on corporate America, but we can't fund our most important services? Bologna!!! This is BS as far as I am concerned. We can give BILLIONS of dollars to other countries while people here are starving; why not everyone else is more important. We find ways of skimmy money from those who worked all there life, our veterans who give life and limb...I am not even going to get started on this issue.

If the gov't stopped wasting all OUR money we would have it to spend on more important things we ALL need, but that would be too easy and make entirely too much sense.

Heck while we are at it, if your not rich, or don't have med. insurance, why bother calling 9-1-1; I mean you just don't deserve treatment and rescue services unless you can afford it right? I ran on a call where a man worked all his life as a crane operator, and because the stock market crashed he lost almost all his retirement. He was eating canned dog food to save money for everything else. Now, if your in an accident you have to pay even more!!!

This is bologna!!! When I hear things like this I am reminded why I am a member of the Tea Party.