A week and half ago I was in a car accident. 270 was closed and traffic was routed to 76 Northbound. Since no one going south on 270 wants to north on 76, everyone was getting off at the 74th ave exit. Long story short I was the last car in a four-car pileup. No one was hurt and I was the only not able to drive away from the accident. Once everything had cleared, I was next to my car waiting for the tow truck.
Then the accident happened again with 5 other cars.
These folks were going much faster than we had only an hour ago. Two cars took off and one had it’s airbags go off. I called 911. When asked if anyone was hurt, I told the operator I don’t know.
A few minutes later an ambulance appeared. It was marked as a South Adams County Fire Protection District ambulance. Later I was told it was from Northglenn Ambulance.
Three people got out and started doing their thing. A woman approached me and I told her that I called 911 but that I wasn’t in this accident. She left for a moment and then came up to me with a clipboard. “I’ll start with you since your info is out,” she said. I had all my info out because I didn’t want to leave it in the car.
She asked for my info, which I assumed she needed because I called 911. However when she asked for my social security number I stopped. “Are you billing me?” I asked.
“Yes.”
I picked up my license and refused to sign the document. She said that this was because it was a volunteer fire department. Upset I raised my voice so everyone could hear that she was trying to bill me. The yellow image on the left is my copy of the form. Take a look at the clause at the bottom.
By this time the police had arrived. Two of the officers were the ones that handled my accident an hour before. Incredulous, one told the woman, “she thinks you’re billing her”.
“That’s right,” she said.
“But she wasn’t in this accident.”
“It doesn’t matter,” she said.
The new officer told me to be quiet or he’d put me in his police car. The woman then piped up:
“If she doesn’t shut up, she’ll be put in my ambulance.”
Angered and threatened, I shut up.
Everyone at the scene said was shocked. Emergency professionals I’ve talked to have never heard of this practice either. Every single one has said wow, calling 911 means you’re responsible for the bill, since when? And even if the service wasn’t used.
No one left in that ambulance. I have never heard of anyone charged when the ambulance was not needed. Northglenn Ambulance and South Adams County apparently think differently. I have not received any bill as of yet. If you read the paper it does say I will receive a bill regardless if I’ve signed.
This practice is abhorrent. Do they stop people on the street and have them sign up to pay the bill? I know that several BBB complaints have been filed against this company for billing issues. I’d suggest not giving any billing info to any ambulance driver / EMT unless you are put inside the thing and taken to a hospital.
Others I’ve talked to who have used Northglenn Ambulance recently did not have this happen. Was it just this woman? I don’t know. When someone is hurt, the last thing you think about is the bill. The last thing you think about when you are trying to help someone is that you’ll be responsible for paying for emergency services.
Let me be clear. I am not talking about the ambulance bill you receive later, after being transported to a hospital in one. No one was transported in this ambulance and no treatment had been given. I was just the first sucker they came across to pin their expenses on.
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