Lafayette Parish's exclusive ambulance service provider is seeking a 44 percent increase over two years for emergency transports and almost 75 percent for non-emergencies.
Photo by Robin May
The City-Parish Council will consider on Tuesday a resolution granting Acadian Ambulance a rate increase in its exclusive contract with Lafayette Consolidated Government.
Acadian is seeking a 44 percent increase over two years for emergency transports, from $673 to $971 in 2014. The rate, if the resolution is approved, would jump half that amount - 22 percent, to $822 - this year. For non-emergency transports, Acadian is seeking an almost 75 percent increase over two years, from the current $376 to $657 in 2014.
The proposed rate increases were unanimously approved by the parish's Emergency Medical Services Advisory Board in December.
Citing rising operating costs and lower Medicare/Medicaid reimbursements, last year Acadian sought but was denied by the council a similarly substantial rate increase - 41 percent for emergency transports and 70 percent for non-emergency rides. The company also tried to get built into its contract an automatic 6 percent annual rate increase. The council, however, voted to grant only a 5 percent rate increase and a 3 percent annual automatic rate hike.
Read the resolution from Tuesday's agenda here.