For 16 years, volunteer fire companies have been fighting for the change arguing they are only asking to do what every other ambulance provider already does - bill the patient's insurance.
New York State Senator John Brooks is a co-sponsor of the bill which would allow volunteer fire companies to bill people's insurance. "We shouldn't have to go to the taxpayer to cover that stuff when somebody else that we're paying a premium to - an insurance premium - says, oh we cover that," Brooks said.
"We need this so we do not have to increase taxes," Terryville Fire Captain William Theis said of the bill.
Hold on. You guys are VOLUNTEERS… the whole point in being VOLUNTEERS is you don’t bill people/insurance. That’s what a company, a private service does so they earn a profit. Hospitals unfortunately in NY are a PRIVATE BUSINESS. That’s why they charge for ambulance service.