THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, April 16, 1996 TAG: 9604160309
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY CATHERINE KOZAK, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: MANTEO LENGTH: Medium: 66 lines
After months of discussion about who should pay for emergency medical transport, the Dare County Board of Commissioners decided Monday that patients who pay county taxes are responsible only for what their insurance will cover.
The board voted 4-3 not to bill permanent residents and nonresident property owners for county ambulance services. Instead, their medical insurance provider and supplemental carrier will be billed directly. Residents will not be held accountable for any costs beyond the insurance payments.
Visitors and seasonal residents, however, will be expected to pay the total expense. Although the finance department also will bill any insurance carriers, non-residents will be billed for whatever is not covered by the insurance. People without insurance or the means to pay will be asked to make arrangements with the county finance department.
The panel agreed to review the policy after one year.
Commissioners were divided over whether taxes exonerate county residents from ambulance costs.
``Myself, I don't think the residents of Dare County, the taxpayers, should have to pay one damn cent,'' Commissioner Joseph ``Mac'' Midgett said. ``That's charging them twice.''
Midgett was joined by Chairman R.V ``Bobby'' Owens Jr. and Commissioners Sammy Smith and Douglas Langford in approving the measure.
Reflecting the views of her colleagues who also voted against the policy, Commissioner Geneva Perry argued that the county should exhaust all insurance payments before billing residents, then bill them for the balance.
``In all fairness, we have to treat everyone alike,'' she said. ``The truth of the matter is we can't charge enough tax to pay for that service.''
Finance Director David Clawson told the board that differentiating between non-residents and residents in billing methods could cause problems down the road.
``I think you can do whatever you want to,'' he said. ``I've just got a nagging feeling it won't pass the sniff test.''
The 1995-96 EMS budget is $3.474 million. About $275,000 has been collected so far out of $500,000 in expected revenues from emergency services for the year, Clawson said.
He also presented the board with a preliminary 1996-97 county budget. Additional department requests totaled $1,094,000, which, if granted, would put the county $831,000 in the red. Without the requests, the county would have $263,000 in additional revenue.
But Clawson said better-than-average tax base growth - 4.6 percent over the last five years, compared with the average of 2.25 percent - will help revenue flow this year. Plus, he said, the county has collected a slightly higher percentage of taxes than usual.
The proposed budget is due May 20, with a public hearing scheduled June 3. The final budget will be adopted June 17.
In other business Monday, the commissioners:
Scheduled a public hearing on adult establishments on May 20 at 10 a.m.
Agreed to appeal to state officials to get placement of a groin on the north shore of Oregon Inlet until jetties are installed.
Supported a new court mediation service through the Albemarle Dispute Center in Currituck County. by CNB