CAIRO & THOMASVILLE — Grady County citizens will be seeing an increase in emergency medical service rates.

The Grady County Board of Commissioners approved a request by EMS Director William Rathel to increase rates for several services at its Tuesday meeting.

“The current rates have been the same for at least the last five years,” said Rathel. “There are a $350 base and a $7 per mile charges. These proposed increases would still be within Medicaid/Medicare allowable charges.”

Rathel checked with surrounding counties and suggested the following rates: $8.50 a mile for mileage (loaded), $350 base for Basic Life Support (BLS) non-emergency, $400 base for BLS emergency, $500 base for Advanced Life Support (ALS) emergency, $600 base for ALS II and $700 for Specialty Care Transport (SCT).

There is also a new $35 base charge for oxygen.

“We’ve never charged for it before but we can,” explained Rathel. “It is an acceptable charge.”

Chairman Charles Norton asked for the collection percentage on Medicaid and Rathel replied it was 17.6 percent.

Norton responded if the county went up on rates it still might not get paid for these services.

Rathel responded that it would get more percentage wise because there would be slightly more in revenues.

The board also briefly discussed Medicaid and why it does not always pay on claims.

County Administrator Rusty Moye said bills not paid by Medicaid are eventually written off as “uncollectable bad debts” by the county.

Commissioner Al Ball felt this is a concern across the state.

“I know this is a constant concern across the state,” he said. “I know I’ve been on board for the Association County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG) and legislators to take a position on this.”

Commissioner Bobby Burns said there are some recurring incidents in the county where citizens use EMS as a chance to be looked at by a medical professional.

Rathel said sometimes a claim is denied because the call was not an emergency.

Norton asked how many non-emergency calls EMS receives each month.

Rathel said there were approximately 253 calls last month: 169 were transport calls, 73 were non-transport calls and 11 were rescue calls.

Rathel also said there are instances where the person should go to the hospital, but will not go. Then the patient must sign a refusal form.

“If we don’t transport we don’t charge,” he said.