As I follow the articles reporting on the concerns for the Baker City ambulance service elimination and the Baker City Fire Department staff reduction outcomes, I have some questions and requests:

1. Who or what City department processes the actual billing for each individual ambulance transport request?

2. What is the basic ambulance fee for transport to St. Alphonsus/BC-ER Dept. from a city home address vs. from a county home address?

3. What is the actual payment payback to the actual billing dept. via Medicare, Medicaid, and private medigap coverage?

4. It has been stated that “Medicare or Medicaid federal programs” only pay 20% of what the city totally bills! My Medicare Part B coverage is 80% of the Medicare approved amount after my Part B personal deductible is paid first by me, then my secondary medigap coverage will pay the remaining 20% of the Medicare approved amount. So: what is the actual ambulance basic service fee amount for transportation only? Of course, there will be additional charges for individual emergent requirements added to the basic service/transport fee.

5. Knowing that Medicaid coverage requirements differ in billing requirements to my knowledge; I am curious as to that actual billing process.

6. I find myself wondering why this serious situation has erupted after several years of the same process for budgeting/billing has been followed. Maybe it is time for a sample budget and audit statement to be provided for the affected taxpayer citizen to fully grasp the entire situational conflict between the two governmental agencies; causing the considerable concerns for the city and county safety services with impending loss of the ambulance service and the 50% decrease in the Fire Department staffing by September 30, 2022. This is not acceptable.

Cheryl Gushman

Baker City