[Community] Ambulance Message from the Eugene-Springfield Area Fire Chiefs

[Thomas Price]

 [image: Photo of Randy Groves, Eugene Fire Chief; Dennis Murphy,
Springfield Fire Chief; and Dale Borland, Lane Rural Fire Chief.]Dear
Friends and Neighbors,

Your local emergency ambulance system needs your help. In 1981, Eugene and
Springfield created an ambulance system built on medical excellence and
supported by user fees. In 1986, the two cities created
FireMed<http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=22666353&msgid=146961&act=BI2B&c=680465&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.firemed.org%2F>,
a program to cover members’ ambulance cost for a small annual fee. In 2002,
Lane Rural Fire/Rescue joined the effort. This system has produced
affordable, award-winning care that continues today.

Then Medicare and Medicaid started cutting payments for patient transports.
This year the Medicare reimbursement for advanced life support transports
decreased another 8.8%, a total cut of 25.3% over the past eight years. The
cut for basic life support was worse – 50.5% this year alone. This federal
reimbursement reduction means that 70% of transports lose money. That is why
the rates for everyone else are so high, and why what was once a healthy
emergency medical service is now in need of help itself.

Fortunately, we have FireMed. For *members* FireMed offers financial
protection from an $1800 ambulance bill. For *everyone* the extra funding
provided by FireMed helps keep this great service healthy. Emergency medical
service is about excellent paramedics, the latest equipment and medicine,
and speed. Less money means less of these things, and that means fewer lives
saved.
Please renew your FireMed membership
<http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=22666353&msgid=146961&act=BI2B&c=680465&destination=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.firemed.org%2Fhow_to_join_step_1.php%3Flocation%3DEugene>today,
even if you think you will not need an ambulance this year. We transport
22,000 patients a year. *That means someone you love probably will use an* *
ambulance*. To make sure they get the finest life-saving care, quickly, and
to make sure that care is still great when you *do* need it, FireMed
membership makes sense. And because you join FireMed, when we respond to an
emergency for you or members of your household – the trip’s on us.
Click here to renew
online.<http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=22666353&msgid=146961&act=BI2B&c=680465&destination=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.firemed.org%2Fhow_to_join_step_1.php%3Flocation%3DEugene>

Sincerely,
Randy Groves,
Eugene Fire Chief

Dennis Murphy,
Springfield Fire Chief

Dale Borland,
Lane Rural Fire Chief


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-- 
Sincerely,


Thomas E. Price, pricet at efn.org
(541)554-2581/(877)278-3083
Churchill Area Neighbors, Chair
http://www.churchillareaneighbors.org/



"Be the change that you want to see in the world"
                                                 Mohandas K. Gandhi

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