1. As a contractual provider for Medicare and Medicaid, the District must agree to accept allowable, reasonable and customary fees from these providers and submit charges to the patient or secondary insurance for any remaining balance.
2. Monies received from taxes represent only 25% of the annual budget; therefore charges are required to continually provide Advanced Life Support EMS.
If we respond in good faith, after a request from you or a family member on your behalf, you may receive a bill. If significant treatment is administered at the scene prior to a no-transport, you will receive a bill for the care rendered, sometimes payable by insurance. These charges are to recoup the cost of supplies.
Review your statement carefully. Statements are sent out monthly to keep you informed of your current account status. It may be possible that the amount shown does not reflect a payment that has been received; it may be that we are awaiting payment from your insurance carrier. If you have questions at all, contact our billing department to review the status of your account. It is best to contact us as soon as possible with any concerns, as your insurance submissions are time sensitive and the sooner we can clear up any concerns, the better. If your insurance does not pay, simply contact our office manager to review payment options offered by the District.
Ripley County Ambulance District currently accepts all major credit/debit cards as a method of acceptable payment. Please contact our office at 573-996-7551 and select option 5 during regular business hours, Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and we can process the credit/debit card over the phone or stop by our office. We currently do not accept on-line payments.
Ripley County Ambulance District is very willing to make payment arrangements with any party faced with an outstanding bill. Patients, their families or representatives are able to contact the billing office during regular business hours, Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The District strives to aid patients and families by accepting "agreed upon' modest payments on a regular monthly basis. This enables all involved to successfully handle the unexpected burden an injury or illness can create. It is our goal to work with all of the patients we serve and avoid the need for costly advanced collection or litigation.
Ripley County Ambulance District is NOT affiliated with any air ambulance service. Our EMTs and Paramedics utilize the closest air ambulance for transport. Air ambulances are utilized in serious life-threatening instances and time is the ultimate decision-making factor in choosing an air ambulance service. Since there are two air ambulance services located in the area and both have membership programs, you may want to consider memberships to both to avoid a costly bill.
As there is no longer a hospital in our community, your choice of medical facilities are now limited by geographical area and distance. All of our patients must be transported 30+ miles to the nearest emergency room. We presently transport to the following facilities: Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center (PBRMC) and Five Rivers Medical Center (FRMC) in Pocahontas, Ark. PBRMC is both a Stroke and STEMI Center, FRMC is affiliated with St. Bernard's Hospital in Jonesboro. In the event of a that a patient needs to be transported to a trauma center (nearest Cape Girardeau, MO, we will make every effort to fly the patient, if not they will be transported to nearest hospital for stabilization. We cannot transport any patients to the VA Medical Center in Poplar Bluff, nor the Urgent Care in Doniphan, as neither have an emergency department.
The EMS system is in place to ensure that your receive emergency medical assistance quickly and efficiently. It is not a good idea to be driving around in an emergency situation, possibly endangering your own life or the lives of others. In an emergency simply call us at 573-996-3060 or 573-996-7123 and let the system work for you. Appropriate response unit(s) will be dispatched to your location immediately.
On average we respond to 1900 calls and transport approximately 1350 patients.
Initial EMS training begins at the Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) level. Once licensed by the State of Missouri as an EMT, you may proceed to the Paramedic level of training. The EMT level of training is where emergency "basics' are learned, applied and practiced. An EMT can administer oxygen, perform glucose checks, secure a patient's airway and defibrillate using an AED. At the Paramedic level, he or she can start IVs, intubate (put a breathing tube down a person's windpipe), interpret EKGs and administer life-saving medications. The typical EMT program is about six months long and a Paramedic program is an additional 1 to 1 1/2 years of training.
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