By By EMILY DREITZLER / Dowagiac Daily News
NILES - A $3 increase in the ambulance assessment was a hot topic at the Howard Township board meeting Tuesday evening.
Marlene Beach asked the board to raise the SMCAS assessment from $10 to $13, which Niles Township recently accepted. Beach addressed board questions regarding the need for the increase by stating that SMCAS recently received an unfunded mandate from the state requiring it to provide a variety of statistics, effective in January 2007. To properly report these statistics without hiring another individual, SMCAS must install software and hardware into each ambulance unit totaling approximately $160,000.
If SMCAS does not comply with the state's request, it risks being shut down.
Beach also cited low reimbursement rates from Medicaid, 34 cents for every dollar, and Medicare, 50 cents for every dollar, as additional reasons for the increased assessment.
The board considered the request by SMCAS and, after much deliberation, passed the motion to increase the assessment for 2005-2006 on a 4-2 vote.