Our Voice : Citizens For a Better Lebanon Maine

16 responses so far ↓

• 1 Confused // Jun 29, 2009 at 9:06 am

  I think the Lebanon Rescue provides a great service and I value the volunteer work and services they provide. However, I take issue with “this fundraiser”.

  The equipment for the Department was originally funded by the Towns People. If services are needed and I didn’t “Subscribe” I need to pay?
  I say charge non-residents twice the fee and forgo any charges to Lebanon residents.

  The Rescue budget has developed over time to be a revenue source for the Town and they virtually self fund themselves today. Through grant efforts, fundraisers and donations they have developed quite an array of state of the art equipment from boats to 6 wheelers and ATVs.
  I say Lebanon Residents should get services for free. We pay enough for the limited services we get in town.

• 2 chris gilpatrick // Jun 29, 2009 at 9:29 am

  Unknown by most taxpayers this is the case. When the ambulance issue started it was agreed at the budget committee meeting that residents would NOT be charged for this service. Residents purchased the first ambulance therefore why would they pay to ride in it . I brought this up at the budget meeting again this year and Jason Cole agreed this was the case . At a time when money is tight I hope residents know this is the case . Lebanon Rescue does a great job but should let residents know they are not liable for the bill to ride in the ambulance .

• 3 John // Jun 29, 2009 at 11:44 am

  I believe the town did not buy the ambulance, the rescue used the funds from the ambulance transports. I just read an old referendum and it says to take the money from donations and revenue. The town did not pay for it from what I can see?

• 4 John // Jun 29, 2009 at 11:46 am

  I do not think that any equipment that they use has been paid for by the taxpayer. I have looked and it looks like the ambulance was paid for by the donations and revenue. The other vehicles have been donations or grants. The monitor was paid for by donations and everything that I can see was paid for by these donations.

  Maybe we can ask the rescue members.

  I have been a subscriber since the beginning and will continue as I know it helps them get this equipment and stay self funded

• 5 Confused Also // Jun 29, 2009 at 11:55 am

  I agree with John. If we didn’t help support them, then they would have to ask for taxpayer money since people would not be making tax deductible donations. I have and will continue to support them with this, every town around does it, but much more expensive per year.

  I do not think you can charge different fees based on what town you live in. I would be curious to see if Medicare would cut Lebanon Rescue for all billing reimbursements if they adopted this.

  I know that we have not paid for ambulance service, the ambulance that was bought like 6 years ago or anything for rescue as they have done very well obtaining grants and donations.

  Look at Waterboro. They pay more then half a million a year for rescue. They have the same amount of calls as we do. And ours cost nothing.

  I support our rescue volunteers and this $30.00 is the best thing going and I appreciate them doing this. For my relatives who are older, this saves them money. We have used the ambulance to be transported and they are the most caring people I know. They stayed with us at the hospital and then called to check on us.

  The town bought the first ambulance for like $5,000 and that ambulance brought in a ton of revenue for us.

  So, I am too confused, what is the question. If we want to have equipment that is required, we can either ask for donations or have the taxpayers pay for it? I donate and its tax deductible.

• 6 Confused Also // Jun 29, 2009 at 11:57 am

  Confused,

  I would agree with you when you say that you should get services you already pay for. The ambulance that the town has was paid for by revenue and donations. The town doesnt budget for rescue and ambulance services. So, you are not paying for something you already pay for?

  I pay my $30 and I know that if I need an ambulance, that it will have equipment to serve me and allow me to survive. And its tax deductible

• 7 chris gilpatrick // Jun 29, 2009 at 12:07 pm

  The first ambulance was purchased by the taxpayers of Lebanon.The rescue had no revenue from transporting because they had no ambulance. This issue should be on this site from the budget committee meeting held this year with the rescue department because I questioned Jason about the billing of residents .He agreed that residents are not billed for the use.

• 8 Glen Stadig // Jun 29, 2009 at 12:20 pm

  I think the point is the Original Ambulance came from Sanford used in 2002 was about $7,000. It was put to the people to vote to purchase this vehicle so it would appear this was “Town Money”. Lord knows this vehicle was a great return on investment. As is the present equipment.
  I agree the Rescue does one heck of a job..people who wish to donate should donate…Thank You Voluteers!

  I think the issue is the Rescue service operates with little to no burden to the town for operating expenses.
  They obviously have a means to waive their expenses if you “subscribe” for a nominal fee.
  Why bill the residents if you don’t have to, particularly if the service runs in the Black. The Fire Department is trying to recoup costs from calls to “out of towners” I think there is a valid point here. I don’t really care how Waterboro miss manages itself. We need to copy “Best Practices ” not worse.
  If a resident needs to be transported it could be done for free, if you found the service a value, donate.
  I am sure Rescue can provide the quantity of “resident” transport versus “non-resident” as well as “subscription” write-off as well total subscriptions sold..

  If it is a business….go be a business…If it is a Town Service, then Serve the Town, if residents could get free transport or waived co-payments then do it.
  Keep the fundraising separate like the house numbers campaign. Rescue makes money is profitable

• 9 chris gilpatrick // Jun 29, 2009 at 12:53 pm

  Thank you Glen .

• 10 Confused Also // Jun 29, 2009 at 4:03 pm

  I didn’t know the town had bought a used ambulance. I only knew of the current one.

  I think that whatever they can do to raise funds to keep the taxpayer at no cost, then do it.

  I support them and will do it

• 11 Jason Cole // Jun 29, 2009 at 5:10 pm

  Hello Everyone,

  I got a call from one of my rescue members about this and thought I should clarify.

  We currently bill ANY user of the ambulance for services, as we are required to by Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance rules and regulations. You cannot “discriminate” on billing. That being said, any resident who utilizes our services and cannot afford to pay their copay or for the services at all can go through a process that is required and we have to keep the documentation under Medicare law. If you cannot afford it, you can fill out an application to have it written off. In the 7 years we have been billing, as I have told Mr. Gilpatrick, we have gone to collections process maybe 5 times and this is because the insurance company paid the patient for the service, the patient cashed and spent the money instead of forwarding it.

  The majority of our patients are from Lebanon, about 93.5% over the past 7 years have been Lebanon Residents. If we bring in $75,000 in revenue, about $68,000 of that is from Lebanon residents. If Chris remembers, we said that we would not go to collections on residents, we have to bill everyone in order to get medicare and we have to show we are non-discriminatory. There are a couple solutions. We could stop billing everyone and lose the revenue and then bill every taxpayer by way of property taxes. Or you can use a “user fee” structure of billing, where as the patient who uses the services actually pays for those services. You need an ambulance, you get one, and you pay for it. But if you have no insurance or can’t afford it, there are safety measures in place. Once again, we have never gone to collections on anyone except a few people that did insurance fraud. There have been about 800-1000 subscribers annually. We have averaged about $7,500 in the program annually. The majority of our transports are NON-SUBSCRIBERS. And most send in a d0nation and join after we transport them.

  This second way allows us to continue to be “self funded” while offering a high level of emergency medical services to our community.

  And to clarify, we have no boats or ATV’s. We have a 6-wheeled off road rescue Ranger donated to us, but no boats or 4 wheelers.

  If we had to go out and purchase the new cardiac monitor because we didn’t have this subscription donations, then it would have cost people money in taxes.

  I agree with the concerns. I will be the first to tell you, as I have publicly stated before and the Chief has said, we will not go to collections on ANY Lebanon resident who cannot pay their bill. Even though we are not supported by any tax money, we do try everything we can to offer the best services to anyone who needs them.

  If we did not bill every patient and we lost medicare, we would bring in about 15,000 a year. If we stopped billing residents and lost medicare, we would bring in about 4,000 a year (basically auto insurance payments).

  There is a very complex billing law that we follow in 0rder to keep the insurance money coming in. If we break it, then we lose the primary payer, medicare and medicaid.

  So for the past three years, we have purchased an ambulance, a new cardiac monitor, paid the entire operational budget each year and received nearly $150,000 in grants and have cost the taxpayers nothing. If a senior citizen wants to donate $20.00 to know that we have equipment that will help save their lives, then let them. If they don’t want to donate, they will get the same exceptional service by the 50 volunteers with Lebanon Rescue. We have been very fortunate to have this program buy the equipment we need.

  I do not get to log on regularly, so I encourage anyone with questions to contact the Chief at 608-5614 or myself at 608-5615.

  Jason Cole
  Assistant Rescue Chief

• 12 Ethan Dawe // Jun 29, 2009 at 9:44 pm

  I prefer to subscribe and help the rescue service to continue it’s excellent service without burden to the taxpayers. This is exacty how a service should be run. This is exactly the best model you can have. I’d love to have a police force funded the same way. I’d love to have a school funded the same way. Your subscription money goes right to what you want, not some wastful pool of loot to be spent in questionable ways.

  It doesn’t get better than this! The cheapest best money you will ever spend on something you may very well need.

• 13 striveforchange // Jun 29, 2009 at 10:42 pm

  I have to agree with you Ethan. I had an ambulance ride from North Berwick to Sanford because my blood pressure dropped and the doctor made me go. That ride cost my husband and I $400. OUCH. My husband and I both have heart problems and its good to know that our rescue department is looking out for its residents.

• 14 Kim // Jun 30, 2009 at 7:20 am

  I had to use the ambulance service on time.
  We GLADLY subscribe and not only did I not have to pay anything but it saved my daughters life. PRICELESS

• 15 Mark // Jun 30, 2009 at 8:29 am

  We have been subscribers since day 1. We have used the ambulance service for my family many times. I pay the $30.00 and I appreciate them taking that money and spending it on equipment that helps save lives. We came from a city where we paid a lot in taxes then spent over a grand whenever we needed an ambulance. Not only was Lebanon Rescue far more friendly and caring then in the city, we got a get well card, a visit from the Rescue Chief at the hospital and a survey in the mail asking our thoughts. All this and no cost on my taxes each year.

  I like the set up of billing the users of the ambulance. I also did not ever see a bill and am very thankful to the rescue for having this program. Keep up the good work

• 16 John // Jun 30, 2009 at 11:53 am

  I would have to agree. What we have works and works very well. My taxes haven’t gone up a penny for exceptional service in the past few years. If the resident doesnt have insurance, they have safe guards in place as Jason’s email states so people don’t have to pay, and they collect all this insurance money.

  I support them each year by donating to this program and it is very nice knowing we have a cardiac monitor to help so many patients.

  As Mark stated, keep up the good work and thank you guys for all you do

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