BY MARK J. CRAWFORD
Telegraph Editor
STARKE — Bradford County will leverage more than $300,000 in federal funding in hopes of receiving more than $700,000 for emergency medical response.
The Public Emergency Medical Transportation program compensates unreimbursed costs for emergency medical transport providers serving Medicaid managed care patients.
According to Chief Ben Carter, full participation in the program requires the local government to support the it with an intergovernmental transfer of funds.
This buy-in makes a difference in how much the county and other agencies are ultimately reimbursed. Bradford was one of seven who did not pay into the program last year — seven out of 94. When more agencies participate, the reimbursements increase for everyone and vice versa.
“If other agencies don’t participate in that IGT, the total allotment for the whole state goes down, which will bring our number down as well,” he said. “It’s very glaringly obvious what departments don’t participate in that program.”
Carter recommended the commission agree to contribute $300,763 of the approximately $480,000 it is slated to receive through the PEMT later this year to support the next round of funding. The resulting payout next year could be as much as $715,423, depending on the investments of other providers.
That could net the county as much as $414,659 for emergency medical transportation services.
“We’re basically using their money at that point to buy us into the program,” Carter said.
The allotment is also determined by the federal medical assistance percentages as well as the number of Medicaid managed care patients transported by the county. Accurate reporting is required. Even if the funding amounts are less based on participation or other factors, the county will not be losing money, according to the chief.
Carter said any money not committed to the transfer would be held in reserve, with spending suggestions brought to the commission for approval.
The commission unanimously agreed Carter to move forward with the PEMT program.
In other business:
—the commission approved two commercial rezonings. The first was for Murray Capital Investments for a parcel contiguous to Murray Ford. The second was for Edith and Karen Mattox at the the intersection of Southeast S.R. 100 and Southeast 66th Street.
The commission also finalized an amendment to the comprehensive plan allowing for solar facilities as a permitted use in agricultural land classifications.
—the commission approved the purchase of a used fire engine using $50,000 in unused grant matching funds.
Other equipment purchases included an asphalt roller for public works using $139,400 in gas tax funding and an F150 response vehicle for a cost not to exceed $50,000.
