Cites Medicare, Medicaid reimbursements in decision
By Brett Dunlap and Evan Bevins, The Parkersburg News and Sentinel
PARKERSBURG, W.Va. — St. Joseph’s Ambulance cease operations at the end of the month.
In an announcement made Monday, St. Joseph’s Ambulance President Dwane Weekley cited Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements not keeping pace with the company’s costs for providing service as the driving force in the decision. Weekley said a recent survey and study by the federal Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services showed the Medicare reimbursement is an estimated 50% below the cost to provide ground ambulance services.
“With Medicare rates serving as the baseline for Medicaid as well as private insurance, this information confirmed what principals at SJAS have believed to be the case for the past few years, and sustaining operations in a safe and proper manner is not possible at this time,” Weekley said in the release. “This decision was not easy and without significant planning and deliberation, unfortunately SJAS will join the list of the nearly two dozen private EMS providers in (West Virginia) who could not continue operations in what has become a difficult market to operate.”
The ambulance service was spun off from St. Joseph’s Hospital in 2003. Weekley and Parkersburg Mayor Tom Joyce have been the co-owners since.