In February 2025, Mayfield Village entered into a Billing Services Agreement with Great Lakes Billing Associates, Inc. to perform third party EMS and ambulance billing and related services. EMS cost recovery for emergency medical services and ambulance transport is a means for the Village to receive financial reimbursement for the cost of providing emergency services and ambulance transportation.
Mayfield Village Residents: Great Lakes Billing will bill Mayfield Village residents only if such resident patient has Medicare, Medicaid or other insurance providing coverage for the EMS and/or ambulance transport services. Accordingly, Great Lakes Billing will not bill or require resident patients with no form of insurance to pay for EMS or ambulance transport service and shall not bill or require resident patients with insurance to pay any co-payments, deductibles, or the like.
Non-Residents: Great Lakes will bill non-resident patients for EMS and/or ambulance transport services. If a non-resident patient has Medicare, Medicaid or other insurance providing coverage for EMS and/or ambulance transport services, the insurance will be billed first. Any remaining balance will then be billed directly to the non-resident. The Ohio Attorney General will pursue collection of nonpayment on any remaining balances.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What is cost recovery?
The process of obtaining financial payment for the cost of providing medically necessary emergency medical services and ambulance transportation. Medicaid, Medicare, and most other private health insurance policies provide coverage for emergency medical and ambulance transportation services.
How long has Mayfield Village been billing for emergency medical services and ambulance transportation?
Mayfield Village implemented a billing program in 2009 to seek reimbursement of funds to help supplement some of the operational expenses for providing emergency medical and ambulance transport services. Initially, only non-residents were billed and then in 2020, the Village added and began insurance only billing of its residents. In 2023, a $300.00 fee was added for an EMS response when emergency medical services are rendered but do not result in an ambulance transporting a patient to a hospital.
How does cost recovery work?
The same EMS and ambulance transport services will be provided to all who need it, regardless of insurance coverage or ability to pay. Insurance companies are billed first for emergency medical services and ambulance transport. Costs not paid by the insurance company may be forwarded to the patient who received the emergency medical and/or ambulance transport services. Although nonresident patients may receive a bill for amounts not paid by insurance and are expected to pay those amounts in full, Mayfield Village residents will not be expected to cover any associated co-pays or costs or underpayment by insurance companies.
All cost recovery complies with Ohio House Bill 388 which requires EMS providers to accept the usual, customary and reasonable rate (“UCR”) allowed by fully insured health plans, so long as the rate is equal to or exceeds the rate Medicare would allow for the level of service provided. This means that assuming your health plan payment meets or exceeds the Medicare rate, both residents and non-residents are entitled to a UCR adjustment from Mayfield Village.
How much are the fees for emergency medical services and transport to the hospital?
Mayfield Village has established the following fee schedule effective February 20, 2023:
Transport with Basic Life Support (BLS) $850.00
Transport with Advanced Life Support (ALS) $1,000.00
Transport with Advanced Life Support 1 (ALSII) $1,200.00
Loaded Mileage $16.00 /mile
Non-Transport Fee $300.00 *
*(this is charged if emergency medical services are provided but a patient is not transported to the hospital)
Are the fees different if my ambulance transport was provided by a neighboring community through a mutual aid agreement? While each EMS provider has its own fee schedule, communities surrounding Mayfield Village have agreed to honor the Village’s EMS billing policies.
What are the fees if an ambulance responds to assist me and I receive emergency medical care, but I am not transported to the hospital? If an ambulance responds to the patient’s home or other scene, provides medical care, and the patient is not transported to the hospital, a non-transport fee of $300.00 will be charged. Although nonresident patients may receive a bill for amounts not paid by insurance and are expected to pay those amounts in full, Mayfield Village residents will not be expected to cover any associated co-pays or costs or underpayment by insurance companies.
Are you charging based on mileage?
Yes, insurance companies will be billed $16.00/mile for ambulance transport in addition to the transport charge. Mayfield Village will track and communicate mileage which shall not exceed the loaded miles from the pickup point to the destination by an odometer reading.
If there are lifesaving efforts made at my house prior to transport, will there be a separate fee from the ambulance transport?
No, patients are only charged for the level of transport provided plus any mileage.
How is my private information protected?
Patient information will be requested at the time of service. Transmitted information will include demographic information from the hospital and the Village’s run report. The Village’s run report will include the treatment provided during the transport and be used to determine the appropriate fee to be billed.
Great Lakes Billing shall hold all information received confidential and shall take all reasonable steps to preserve the confidentiality of such information. In furtherance of such obligations, Great Lakes Billing agrees to perform its services in compliance with Public Law 104-191 (1996), commonly known as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAA”).
Who is the point of contact if I have a question about my bill?
Great Lakes Billing can be reached at 1.800.845.4522 or 440.605.9117. Great Lakes Billing can be reached Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. If you have additional questions, you can contact Jennifer Schultz at the Mayfield Village Fire Department at 440.461.1208.