Cincinnati officials are considering a new fee for assisted living facilities for some non-emergency ambulance calls.
City Council's Budget and Finance Committee passed a motion Monday asking city administration for a report on the feasibility of establishing a lift assistance fee.
"We obviously want the best care for seniors, but we also want to make sure that non-emergency costs are not pushed on to taxpayers," said Council member Mark Jeffreys.
It would apply to situations in which firefighters are dispatched to help lift someone from a chair, bed, or floor without the need for emergency medical treatment.
President of the local Fire Fighters Union Joe Elliot says some facilities call four or five times a day.
"If they need help — if they need to go to the hospital, they need to be evaluated — we're more than happy to do that," Elliot told Council. "But it seems like most times we're getting called because they don't want the liability on them — they're putting it more on the fire department."
Elliot says lift assistance calls have become more frequent over the past few years.
Council members Jeffreys and Jeff Cramerding introduced the motion, originally worded in a way that directed city administration to establish a fee between $800 and $1,000 per lift run for "repeat, non-emergency lift assistance runs at nursing homes, assisted-living facilities, and other institutions where trained staff are expected to provide baseline mobility support."
A few other Council members expressed concern about the idea, saying facilities may simply push the cost onto residents, or that facilities may be discouraged from calling for help even in a true emergency.
"We don't want nursing homes not calling if they do need our amazing fire department and paramedics," Scotty Johnson said.
The committee amended the motion to request a report from the administration on a potential plan with 90 days.
The motion will be up for a final City Council vote Wednesday.
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