[Adopted 2-17-2005 by Ord. No. 2005-3]
This article shall be known as "Charges for
the Provision of Emergency Medical Services by the Ventnor City Fire
Department."
The City of Ventnor City, through its Fire Department,
shall provide full-time professional emergency medical services to
citizens of, and visitors to, the City of Ventnor City, on a twenty-four-hour-per-day
basis through the year to the extent that said services are available.
[Amended 10-16-2008 by Ord. No. 2008-17; 4-16-2015 by Ord. No. 2015-11; 12-27-2018 by Ord. No. 2018-46]
A.
The charges for rendering emergency medical services to an individual or parties shall be in the amounts set forth in Chapter 114, Fee Schedule.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. I)]
B.
If the individual and/or parties utilizing emergency medical services treatment is/are covered by Medicaid or Medicare, then the fees established under those programs shall be accepted. In no instance shall those individuals and/or parties be charged a rate higher than established in Chapter 114.
C.
Any such bill for emergency medical services will be sent directly
to the individual and/or party's health insurance carrier, if such
individual and/or party has insurance coverage related to said service.
The fee individuals pay to the City of Ventnor
City for providing emergency medical services shall be paid by any
combination of the following:
A.
Payment by the insurance company for service provided
to an individual who has insurance coverage for same.
B.
Direct payments from a person for whom services have
been provided for any amount which is not covered by insurance.
C.
Payments pursuant to any service agreement with any
person, agency or other entity that has entered into an emergency
medical service agreement as further set forth in this article.
No individual needing emergency medical services
within the jurisdiction and limits of the City of Ventnor City, to
the extent that services are available, shall be denied said services
on any basis whatsoever, including, and not limited to, residency,
ability to pay, or any other factor. No person located within said
City's jurisdictional limits shall be denied emergency medical services
to the extent that the same are available.
Personnel of the Ventnor City Fire Department
shall maintain accurate records of all requests for emergency medical
services within the City of Ventnor City and any service calls and
any services provided in response thereto. Such records shall be maintained
on forms approved by the City Administrator and shall include an authorization
for such services by the individual to whom said services are rendered
or verification from a medical establishment that said services were
necessary in instances where the individual receiving said services
is not able to authorize the same. Said records shall further include
certain patient information, including the general nature of the call,
and the complete name, mailing address, telephone number, social security
number and location for transport of all individuals receiving said
emergency medical services within the City of Ventnor City.
A.
Persons receiving a bill from the City of Ventnor
City for emergency medical services shall be responsible for payment
of same in full to the City of Ventnor City within 30 days of the
date of mailing of said bill. Said thirty-day period for payment may
be extended upon proof of submission of said bill to the individual's
insurance carrier, upon which time payment shall be due within 30
days of the receipt of said bill by said insurance carrier, but in
no event later than 60 days from the date of the bill.
B.
Persons receiving emergency medical services within
the City of Ventnor City who have health insurance coverage regarding
said services are required to cooperate fully with City personnel
or agents thereof so that full payment is secured for said services
provided.
C.
In the event any health insurance of a taxpayer or
year-round resident of the City of Ventnor City does not fully cover
the amount billed by said City of Ventnor City, the City will accept
such partial payment to the extent of said individual's policy limits
concerning said services, including any deductibles and coinsurance
requirements, as payment in full for the services provided.
D.
In the event a taxpayer or resident of the City of
Ventnor City does not have health insurance coverage to pay all or
a portion of said emergency medical services, payment to the City
of Ventnor City by such taxpayer or resident shall not be required.
Residents of Ventnor City, neighboring municipalities,
nonprofit organizations and other entities are welcome to enter into
emergency medical service agreements with the City of Ventnor City
in order to receive emergency medical services as set forth in this
section. Such service agreements shall ensure the availability of
emergency medical services to any such entity willing to pay a pre-agreed
amount of said entity's fair share of the City of Ventnor City's cost
of providing such emergency medical services. The City Commission
shall, in its discretion, determine whether or not to enter into such
service agreements through the adoption of an appropriate resolution
or the authorization of the appropriate interlocal services agreement
where appropriate. Upon entering into such service agreement with
any entity, said entity shall pay the prearranged price for said services
and shall not be billed on an individual trip basis.
For the purposes of this article, the following
definitions shall apply:
Any individual who is the spouse or unmarried child (natural,
adopted or stepchild) under the age of 19 years old of a taxpayer
or year-round resident as defined in this section. "Dependent" shall
also mean any unmarried child under the age of 19 years for whom the
taxpayer or year-round resident has been appointed legal guardian.
"Dependent" shall also mean any individual who resides in the permanent
domicile of the taxpayer or year-round resident and is claimed as
a dependent for federal income tax purposes, or who is deemed to be
a dependent under the health insurance policy which provides coverage
for emergency medical services then in effect for said taxpayer or
year-round resident.
Any individual listed on the deed of any property located
within the municipal boundaries of the City of Ventnor City showing
an ownership interest in said property. In the case of a corporation
or partnership, only those individuals retaining a twenty-five-percent
or greater ownership interest in said corporation or partnership shall
be considered taxpayers. For the purposes of determining whether a
twenty-five-percent or greater ownership interest exists, a duly married
husband and wife may combine their ownership interests.
Any individual residing within the municipal boundaries of
the City of Ventnor City for a period of at least six months and one
day prior to the year in which emergency medical services were provided.
Verification of residency shall be based on an affidavit of the individual
to whom emergency medical services were provided, or a valid representative
thereof, and shall include indicia of residency such as a State of
New Jersey driver's license or proof of filing of a State of New Jersey
income tax return from a Ventnor City address.
The City Administrator may implement appropriate
written regulations to further the purpose and intent of this article.
Nothing in this article is intended to, or in
any way, waive any immunity afforded the City of Ventnor City, its
Fire Department or Police Department. This specifically includes any
immunity contained in Title 59 of the New Jersey Statutes Annotated
or any other immunity provided, whether the same be statutory or otherwise.
Any person or other entity who violates this
article may be subject to a fine of up to $1,000 and/or community
service for up to 90 days in the discretion of the Municipal Court
Judge.
