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Schipske to
Ask For Report on Newest Revenue Source for Fire Department : AB 678 --
New law
provides millions for public agencies
that operate ground
emergency medical services
Long Beach,
CA – May 21, 2012 – Concerned that budget cuts to the Long Beach Fire
Department have resulted in slower response times, Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske
is asking for a report from the city manager on whether or not the City has
applied for new funding that could be used to restore cuts made to the
department.
“AB 678 was passed last year and provides cities that operate
ground emergency medical services a process to access new federal funds and
subsequently receive supplemental Medi-Cal payments,” says Schipske. “Long
Beach Fire Department transports many Medi-Cal recipients and should be able to
receive several million.”
Schipske notes that AB 678 was signed into law in October
2011 and that cities were advised by the League of California Cities “to act
quickly in order to receive the supplemental reimbursement.” The reimbursement
mechanism provided through the State Department of Health Care Services was
established last October, with the first round of reimbursements to be made as
early as January 2012.
“Fire response times have been reduced because equipment and
firefighters were removed from several stations due to budget cuts,” adds
Schipske. “I am placing an item on the council agenda to discuss this new
source of revenue and to request that it be used to restore some of the cuts
made, especially for paramedic services.”
AB 678 was authored by Assemblyman Richard Pan, a physician
from Northern California, and sponsored by the California Professional
Firefighters (CPF), who report that ambulance transports have increased 13
percent from 1997 to 2006, and ambulance transports of Medi-Cal beneficiaries have
increased 19 percent from 2006 to 2009.
CPF also points out that Medicare rates were reduced 10 percent in 2010,
representing a reduction of $35 million statewide and straining fire department
budgets even more.
Schipske also points out that a legislative report found that
current Medi-Cal rates do not cover the operating cost of a typical ambulance
transport. These unreimbursed costs are subsequently
absorbed into a fire department's general fund and paid for by the taxpayers.
“The sooner the City of Long Beach applies for these funds, the sooner we can
begin restoring cuts to our fire services.”
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