Billing switch for Granite Falls aid calls
Published 12:01 am Wednesday, August 17, 2011
GRANITE FALLS — Snohomish County Fire District 8 in Lake Stevens is taking over billing services for people who take rides in Granite Falls ambulances.
Lake Stevens crews sometimes respond to help with serious calls in nearby Snohomish County Fire District 17 in Granite Falls, said Lake Stevens Fire Chief Dave Lingenfelter. The districts have worked together to provide emergency medical services in the Granite Falls area since the early 1990s.
The Granite Falls department had been working with a private company for ambulance billing services, Lingenfelter said.
Lake Stevens fire already provides billing services to Snohomish County Fire District 22 in Getchell and just penned a similar agreement with Snohomish County Fire District 19 in Silvana.
People who ride in Granite Falls ambulances still will get the bill from their local fire department, but some questions over their bills will go to Lake Stevens, Lingenfelter said.
Granite Falls already pays Lake Stevens a percentage of its emergency medical services levy for paramedic service. It now also will pay a small paperwork fee per incident.
Rikki King: 425-339-3449; rking@heraldnet.com.
