CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The Kanawha County Ambulance Authority has approved a rate increase for its ambulance services.
The increases, which will be upwards of 200% for some services, come in an effort to make up for a $4 million budget deficit by aligning the fees with the market rate.
KCAA says most of the people it transports will not be impacted by the increases.
For non-contracted insurance providers and auto insurers, the increases will be effective immediately, while contracted insurers such as Aetna, Blue Cross-Blue Shield, Medicare, Medicaid, and others will not see any changes.
The official service rate increases are as follows:
- Advanced Life Support (Non-emergency): 43% increase
- $681.84 in 2024
- $979.00 in 2025
- Advanced Life Support (Emergency): 126% increase
- $686.84 in 2024
- $1,550.22 in 2025
- Basic Life Support (Non-emergency): 160% increase
- $313.09 in 2024
- $815.88 in 2025
- Basic Life Support (Emergency): 215% increase
- $414.47 in 2024
- $1,305.43 in 2025
- Advanced Life Support 2: 226% increase
- $687.39 in 2024
- $2,243.70 in 2025
- Critical Care Transport: 157% increase
- $$1,029.70 in 2024
- $2,651.68 in 2025
Before the decision was made, KCEAA deferred to PWW consulting to look at how to better manage the deficit. KCEAA spokesperson Tom Susman says the consulting group saw a well-run company that needed to raise revenues.
“What they found out is, there’s not an expense issue with the authority. They’re one of the most efficiently-ran ambulance companies in the region, but the reality is, they weren’t generating the revenue they need to raise,” Susman said.
Susman says that over the years, KCEAA attempted to avoid increasing rates, and now they’re in a position where they can’t afford to leave rates where they are.
“I think over the years, they didn’t want to raise their rates, and they tried other ways to do it, and they’ve kind of gotten themselves in a situation where they need to play some catch up,” Susman said.
77% of KCEAA’s transports come from those receiving Medicaid and Medicare, which falls into the group that will not feel the effects of the rate increases. Susman says that number is a large contributor to the authority’s shortfall.
“That is probably the story of West Virginia healthcare,” Susman said. “In West Virginia, our payer mix is so reliant on governmental payers that it makes it tough to operate.”
KCEAA is searching for other ways to make up for the $4 million deficit, though the rate increases will certainly help.
Susman says they have one other process in mind, but the rate increases were unavoidable.
“They’re looking at their dispatch process where part of the dispatch is at the ambulance authority and the other part is up at 911. Are there efficiencies they can do as it relates to that?” Susman said. “They’re looking to do other things to cut costs, but one of the things that was apparent that had to happen was to do the rate increases.”