WASHINGTON CO. COMMISSIONERS TO CONSIDER TRANSPORTATION AGREEMENT BETWEEN EMS, NURSING HOMES

  

An agreement for transportation assistance between Washington County EMS and local nursing homes will be considered by Washington County Commissioners on Monday.

The agreement would serve nursing home residents who do not meet federal Medicare or Medicaid guidelines for ambulance transportation.  If approved, the agreement would allow EMS to transport those residents to or from a medical facility in the event that the transportation offered by the nursing home is not in operation.

According to the agenda packet, the policy is designed to act as a safeguard which EMS says is already provided, but rarely utilized.  However, because of no existing agreement, residents are billed the full price of a typical EMS treatment and transport when the situation does arise.

The agreement would also establish a mechanism where ambulances may be required to transport residents for in-house facility disasters, such as fire or flooding, who do not meet Medicare or Medicaid description of ambulance transportation requirements.  The purpose is to provide the assistance at a reduced rate, due to the residents not needing medical treatment but still needing to be transported to a secure location.

The service would be at a rate of $400 plus $20 per loaded mile for transportation needs.  There will also be a waiting fee of $125 per hour for when an ambulance is not able to leave a patient at an appointment.

The agreement has no bearing on patients that meet federal guidelines for non-emergency or emergency transportation by ambulance; those patients will be billed in normal fashion and at normal county-approved rates.

Also on Tuesday, the court will:

• Proclaim February 2022 as National Parent Leadership Month.
• Consider purchasing a Helios small scale barrel burner for controlled burning by the sheriff’s office out of the office’s forfeiture funds.
• Consider a proposed 2020-21 budget amendment for the Washington County Appraisal District.
• Act on enrolling county employees in a certified cybersecurity training through the Texas Association of Counties.
• Hear monthly reports from the emergency management coordinator, county clerk, justices of the peace, auditor, tax assessor/collector, treasurer, elections administrator and constables.
• Review and act on the racial profiling reports of all precincts of the Washington County Constable’s Office.

Commissioners will meet Monday at 9 a.m. at the Washington County Courthouse.