More and more cities are adopting 911 response fees to offset the costs associated with emergency transport. Gurzi, 85, received a $260 bill for “paramedic response” after her insurance (Medicare) had already been billed for the November ambulance ride. Unfortunately, the fees are used to offset the cost of emergency transport generally, not for a specific transport, leaving many consumers stuck with hefty bills.
Cities shouldn’t be billing people like Katie Gurzi, who says: “It seems to me their underlying rationale is that they don’t seem to be getting paid enough,” she said. “If that is the case, they need to take that up with Medicare and not move those costs to the beneficiaries.”
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