Emergency Medical Services

Emergency Medical Services -- or EMS -- is a vital public service that delivers emergency care to victims of sudden and serious illness or injury.

In North College Hill, and throughout the country, EMS calls typically comprise over 80 percent of the total emergency calls received by public fire-rescue agencies.

The EMS system depends on the availability and coordination of many different elements, ranging from an informed public capable of recognizing medical emergencies to a network of metro area hospitals capable of providing highly specialized care to the most seriously ill or injured.

COST RECOVERY

EMS Cost Recovery is a program to recover the costs of emergency medical services associated with treating and/or transporting a patient to the hospital by ambulance. Medicaid, Medicare and most other private insurance policies (health, auto and/or homeowners) allow for payment for this service. This cost recovery program has been implemented successfully by nearly all localities in the region to recover funds to support the increasing costs of providing EMS services to a growing population.

If you were to have an accident or need emergency transport to a hospital in one of these many communities, including our surrounding jurisdictions of Springfield Township, Colerain Township, Cincinnati, Mt Healthy, Forest Park, your insurance would be billed and those funds would go towards supporting that communities EMS system. It makes sense for North College Hill to recover costs for its EMS system.
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Patients will be charged according to the type of service received and the distance they are transported to the hospital. Rates are periodically set by City Council to maintain compliance with the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. We have contracted with Medicount Management to administer this program. The billing company has customer service representatives to address billing and insurance questions. Their toll-free number is 866-587-0824.
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All patients will be treated and transported regardless of the patient’s ability to pay. This program will not change the ambulance service provided to anyone, regardless of insurance coverage or any other factor. North College Hill will not deny service to those with unpaid balances from previous bills. Emergency responders who respond to your call will have no knowledge of who has paid and who has not paid. The North College Hill EMS Cost Recovery program includes compassionate billing provisions and in cases of hardship, may apply for a hardship waiver once all applicable insurance payments have been collected. .