Beach fire district begins charging for non-transport patients
As of the beginning of this month, the Fort Myers Beach Fire District has begun adopting a non-transportation practice to become consistent with Lee County. In what is called a change of billing practice, the local fire district will charge a nominal fee for non-transport patients who get treatment, supplies and medications.
According to FMB Fire Chief Mike Becker, the action is one of logistics. Although Fort Myers Beach has never charged for this service, it needs to now.
“If we treat a patient, like using medications on a patient, and they refuse transport, we are going to go ahead and bill them,” said Becker. “It’s the same practice as Lee County. We have implemented that as of Feb. 1. It’s just a matter of logistically catching up with Lee County practices.”
Becker gave a sting ray incident as an example of what constitutes a monetary fee and what does not.
“If a patient walks up to the station with a sting ray bite, and we take care of them, they are not going to get a bill,” he said. “But, if you are at Lynn Hall Park and get bit by a sting ray, and we have to send an ambulance and blast through all this traffic and sit with them for 20 minutes to soak their foot in hot water, they’re going to get a bill.”
The Beach fire chief provided another case scenario for billing.
“Another example is a cardiac arrest where someone is not breathing and pulse-less,” said Becker. “We’ll literally go in there and try to use every drug to try to save their life. That will now be a billing situation.”