Letter From the County Executive: EMS Transport Fee
Release Date: Thursday, October 21st 2010October 21, 2010
Dear County Resident:
I want to inform you of an important issue facing the County that could have an adverse impact on every County resident.
Many of you are aware that the November ballot will contain County Question A. The Question gives voters the opportunity to decide whether County Council Bill 13-10: Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Transport Fee, which passed in May, should remain law.
Under the law, the County would be allowed to recover ambulance transport costs from premiums already paid to insurance companies, Medicare, and Medicaid -- $14 million this year and $170 million over the next 10 years. All revenues would be dedicated, by law, to strengthen our Fire & Rescue Service. No County resident will ever get a bill for ambulance transport, co-pays or deductibles -- whether they have insurance or not.
The County’s current year budget includes $14 million in revenue from the EMS Transport Fee. Two weeks ago, I forwarded a list of $14 million in proposed budget cuts to the Council. These reductions are unfortunate, but will be necessary if the EMS Transport Fee is not approved by the voters.
Council President Nancy Floreen said it well: “Given our already tight budget, any further cuts will echo across the County. Our obligation is to maintain a balanced budget. If residents vote against the ambulance fee, they will be voting for $14 million in cuts to services."
Nearly every jurisdiction in the Washington region collects millions of dollars in ambulance reimbursements from insurance companies, Medicare, and Medicaid – with no adverse effects. They are using those resources to save lives – and Montgomery County should do the same. We cannot afford to leave this money on the table.
Unfortunately, all of us have felt the impact of the County’s increasing resource demands and decreasing revenue due to current fiscal constraints. To keep our emergency services strong and not adversely affect other critical services and programs further, we need the additional revenue that the ambulance reimbursement will provide.
As I travel around the County, I meet many residents who have asked for facts and accurate information on the EMS Transport Fee. For more information, you can go to www.montgomerycountymd.gov/emstransportfee.
Please vote in the upcoming general elections as they are critical to our ability to maintain Montgomery County as the special place it is today to live, work, play, and age with dignity. In addition to voting in person on Tuesday, November 2 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at your polling location, you may vote by absentee ballot. Absentee ballot request forms can be downloaded here and must be returned by October 26, 2010.
This year, for the first time, you may cast your vote at any one of the Early Voting Centers in the County between Friday, October 22 and Thursday, October 28 from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. (except Sunday, October 24). I urge you to consider joining the thousands of County voters who will be taking advantage of this highly efficient means of carrying out our civic duty.
As the information in this letter is very important to the future of Montgomery County, I would appreciate it if you would take the time to forward it to your Montgomery County family, friends, colleagues at work, and neighbors before the November 2 election.
With appreciation,
Ike Leggett
County Executive
