Revenue from ambulance runs is expected to come within about $30,000 of meeting Allen County’s $1 million obligation to Iola for provision of countywide ambulance service.
Terry Call, who does billing and tracks daily ambulance statistics, told commissioners Tuesday $728,399.77 had been collected from billings of $1.536 million through Monday. Of billing, $576,569.17 was written off because of contractual obligations to Medicare and insurance companies. That left a balance due of $228,621.39, of which Call thinks at least 60 percent will be paid.
When those figures are all rolled together, the meager $30,000 shortfall emerges. Meanwhile, the county has in its budget $738,000 for ambulance services — including to fulfill the subsidy to the city — but also for such things as new ambulances and other equipment.
Call said ambulances had been dispatched — from Iola, Humboldt and Moran stations — 1,977 times, an average of 5.48 calls a day. Of the runs, 1,389 resulted in emergency transport, 58 non-emergency. Another 530 were dry runs, meaning the patients either refused transport or it was deemed unnecessary. Hospital-to-hospital transfers accounted for 387 dispatches.
IN OTHER BUSINESS:
— Stacy Cakes, Humboldt, was selected to cater an appreciation dinner for county employees — there are 96 full time — on Jan. 26. Cost will be $10.50 per meal. The winning bid was not as low as some others from Allen County vendors, and received votes from commissioners Jerry Daniels and Tom Williams. Jim Talkington abstained from voting.
— Apt Law Office, Iola, had the only bid for guardian ad litem and adult misdemeanor representation in District Court. Chuck Apt bid $4,000 a month plus expenses for ad litem duties, $3,300 a month plus expenses for adult cases.
— With no one else offering a bid, Charles Wilson’s bid of $5 each for three lots in south Iola was accepted. The lots, wards of the county because the owners had failed to pay their property taxes, had been on the sales block twice and neither time could draw a bid of as much as $1 each.
