FDNY takes $120M ambulance hit

Department had tried to sell the mountain of debt to collection agencies but found no takers
The FDNY is writing off $120 million in EMS ambulance services provided each year to uninsured patients, a top official yesterday told the City Council.

"If a person doesn't have insurance, in most cases they do not pay," Assistant Commissioner Steve Rush testified at a council budget hearing.

"We offer to those patients charitable payments, which is a reduced fee, but most of them elect not to take advantage of it. There's only so far you can go."

Rush added that the department had tried to sell the mountain of debt to collection agencies but found no takers.

"They are no longer interested," Rush said. "It's a very difficult debt to collect on."

The unpaid ambulance bills represent 32 percent of the $380 million that it costs taxpayers annually to run the fleet of ambulances.

2 comments:

Technician 101 said...

It is also determined by a number of factors including work experience and level of education. The geographic location of a worker is crucial as well for there are states that pay higher than the others. emt salaries

NYC EMS said...

Good to know.