(May 12, 2016) Snow Hill residents received a letter from the volunteer fire company this past week soliciting $40 donations, but the language might confuse some people about the benefits they receive in return for support.
“The basis for the letter is a fund drive for the company. We come to you — regardless of insurance etc. — but if you’re a subscription member, once we’ve billed your insurance, we’ll accept what they send,” Howard Stephens, secretary-treasurer of the company said.
Any overage between what the insurance paid and what the patient may owe is forgiven if the $40 donation is paid. Those without insurance, but have made a donation, will have their balance forgiven.
“If you have no insurance and are a subscriber, you won’t receive a bill,” Stephens said. “We take the $40 and write the rest off.”
There are some caveats, however, and it is how these are spelled out that has generated some confusion.
The letter lists six separate items describing what the subscription entails, of which five are fairly standard limitations on services provided. For example, notification that this service only covers ambulances operated by the Snow Hill Volunteer Fire Company, is the first item, and determining if the fire company operates within your area is the last.
The third, however, is open to interpretation.
“This donation provides emergency transportation only for those listed below to hospitals within a 50-mile radius,” it reads.
Closer to the intent of the phrase would be to substitute the word “covers” for “provides,” Stephens explained. The services will be rendered no matter the status of the patient, but the costs associated with those services will be divided in a certain way depending on the patient’s status as a subscriber.
The costs this subscription mitigates can be substantial, Stephens said.
An estimate for ambulance services requiring advanced life support techniques, before mileage is factored in, can reach or exceed $900, Stephens said.
“It’s a help. For a lot of people around town the subscription provides a sense of comfort because they’re living on a fixed income,” he said. “If you don’t have the money to cover the services, $40 covers it.”
According to the letter, the Snow Hill Volunteer Fire Company responded to 1,026 calls in 2015, which averages out to about three daily calls. Through this and other fundraising efforts, Stephens said, the company raises about $14,000 or $15,000 annually, which is almost enough to cover the company’s fuel bill.
“The basis for the letter is a fund drive for the company. We come to you — regardless of insurance etc. — but if you’re a subscription member, once we’ve billed your insurance, we’ll accept what they send,” Howard Stephens, secretary-treasurer of the company said.
Any overage between what the insurance paid and what the patient may owe is forgiven if the $40 donation is paid. Those without insurance, but have made a donation, will have their balance forgiven.
“If you have no insurance and are a subscriber, you won’t receive a bill,” Stephens said. “We take the $40 and write the rest off.”
There are some caveats, however, and it is how these are spelled out that has generated some confusion.
The letter lists six separate items describing what the subscription entails, of which five are fairly standard limitations on services provided. For example, notification that this service only covers ambulances operated by the Snow Hill Volunteer Fire Company, is the first item, and determining if the fire company operates within your area is the last.
The third, however, is open to interpretation.
“This donation provides emergency transportation only for those listed below to hospitals within a 50-mile radius,” it reads.
Closer to the intent of the phrase would be to substitute the word “covers” for “provides,” Stephens explained. The services will be rendered no matter the status of the patient, but the costs associated with those services will be divided in a certain way depending on the patient’s status as a subscriber.
The costs this subscription mitigates can be substantial, Stephens said.
An estimate for ambulance services requiring advanced life support techniques, before mileage is factored in, can reach or exceed $900, Stephens said.
“It’s a help. For a lot of people around town the subscription provides a sense of comfort because they’re living on a fixed income,” he said. “If you don’t have the money to cover the services, $40 covers it.”
According to the letter, the Snow Hill Volunteer Fire Company responded to 1,026 calls in 2015, which averages out to about three daily calls. Through this and other fundraising efforts, Stephens said, the company raises about $14,000 or $15,000 annually, which is almost enough to cover the company’s fuel bill.