Oregon to weigh ‘soft billing’ for EMS runs

5/7/2013

Oregon City Council is expected to approve billing insurance companies, Medicare, and Medicaid for emergency medical runs at its next regular meeting.

The practice, known as "soft billing," is the norm for Toledo-area cities. Oregon officials support it as a way to maintain their city's financial stability.

Council, meeting on Monday as the committee of the whole, approved putting the soft billing on the agenda for its meeting next Monday. Once the measure is adopted, the EMS billing will be done by an outside company, Medicount Management, Inc. Individuals will not be billed.

Officials have been studying the EMS billing for months, and believe eventually it could generate annual revenue of $250,000 for Oregon.

The ordinance council will consider next week does not set specific charges — that will be done later.