Did An Ambulance Company Take Taxpayers For A Ride? - NewsChann...

I know an employee who works here and she has NEVER been asked nor would she ever falsify documentation. I have not heard of anyone being asked to do so. It is unfair to judge all employees on the possibility that some were asked or acted on their own to possibly falsify documentation.

I was on dialysis for 2 years and I often wonder about how some of them qualified for this type of service. Dialysis is not easy, but the vast majority have to get themselves back and forth to dialysis. I am sure there are those that take advantage of Medicare.

This is not unusual. A relative has worked several private ambulance companies in the Nashville area. The patient was not supposed to be able to ride in a car, IV's, could not sit, etc. Most every one that the relative worked for transported people that were able to ride in a car without any problem.

Sounds more like a he said, she said article, but I do have to side with the owner from what I read so far. If a doctor says a patient should ride in an ambulance, then they ride in an ambulance. EMT's cannot re-write doctor's orders, or go against them. The rate Medicare pay's is determined by Medicare, and is approved based on doctor's ordered. It sounds like they are caught in the middle. Now if the ambulance group does not agree witth the doctor's orders and refuse to transport then they get in trouble by the state for defying the orders, someone else makes the money on the fare, and they open themselves up for trouble.

Jason B Bour wrote:

Sounds more like a he said, she said article, but I do have to side with the owner from what I read so far. If a doctor says a patient should ride in an ambulance, then they ride in an ambulance. EMT's cannot re-write doctor's orders, or go against them. The rate Medicare pay's is determined by Medicare, and is approved based on doctor's ordered. It sounds like they are caught in the middle. Now if the ambulance group does not agree witth the doctor's orders and refuse to transport then they get in trouble by the state for defying the orders, someone else makes the money on the fare, and they open themselves up for trouble.

Well, you have to remember there are rules from Medicare that must be followed. The doctor does not "order" anyone in this case, but simply signs his name to a certificate stating they can be taken by ambulance. He is not aware that CMS has rules for ESRD patients and they must be bed confined. This would be no ability to walk or sit up in a chair. I looked at the rules on CMS's website and they are not vague...but to the point. I think you have to remember this is specific to ESRD only and not for any other transfer services.

Can you point me to that reg please?

Yes this is specific to one transport service, I agree, but why?

As far as the authorization certificate, maybe the blame should fall on the doctor. If I ran a transport service, I would go by the doctor's authorization, and to me that is as good as doctor's orders. I would not know why the doctor authorized ambulance transport over car, and just because you cannot see the reason does not mean there is not a reason. If ambulance is authorized under certain conditions, then those conditions should be outlined.

An EMT cannot second guess a doctor, the state and federal licensing does not allow it. If the EMT reads the authorization and decides on there own the patient can travel by car without medical personnel present, and something happens then the EMT's lose their license, and possibly the ambulance services, and it does not matter what Medicare says at that point.

Jason B Bour wrote:

Can you point me to that reg please?
Yes this is specific to one transport service, I agree, but why?
As far as the authorization certificate, maybe the blame should fall on the doctor. If I ran a transport service, I would go by the doctor's authorization, and to me that is as good as doctor's orders. I would not know why the doctor authorized ambulance transport over car, and just because you cannot see the reason does not mean there is not a reason. If ambulance is authorized under certain conditions, then those conditions should be outlined.
An EMT cannot second guess a doctor, the state and federal licensing does not allow it. If the EMT reads the authorization and decides on there own the patient can travel by car without medical personnel present, and something happens then the EMT's lose their license, and possibly the ambulance services, and it does not matter what Medicare says at that point.

http://www.cms.hhs.gov/transmittals/Downloads...
There are more factors than just bed-confinement. I am not buying the owners replies to the questions. If you are having two at a time walk into an ambulance and then letting someone out to get something to eat...I as a taxpayer don't want to be paying for it.

ESRD is much different from an ALS transport as ALS is for emergency services (runs). Home to ER can be used as an ALS service. Your 911 like Metro govt amb is mostly for ALS services. ESRD is a total different monster according to Medicare.

The reverse headline to this story reads,“Local Ambulance Company Refuses to Transport Patients in Defiance of Doctors’ Orders…Details at 6” The patient’s doctor determines medical necessity. Period. You can’t have it both ways folks. The deeper issue as I see it is this: Does it not concern anyone here that personal property and bank accounts were seized by the federal government without the owners even being charged with any crime, much less being given the opportunity to defend themselves? This is what needs investigating, Mr. Hall. Ever heard of due process of law as guaranteed by the Fifth and Fourtheenth Amendments? Seems to me the accusers are operating under a premise of presumed guilt. Wow, I thought we lived in the United States of America. Or is this treatment toward citizens of this country by its government representative of the new world in which we now live? Actions by the government such as these make me fear for what remains of my own constitutional liberties and personal freedoms.

This happens all the time. These private ambulance services in Memphis, Nashville, and Knoxville sneak into other counties and transport patients who can easily ride another way. It is truly a daily occurrence.

Honestly what we need to be worried about is how much my tax dollars are going to pay for people sit it at home and not work when they are able to work! Or how about when people on state funded insurance use the ems service for medication refills and pregnancy tests and the er as a walk in clinic. LISTEN UP FOLKS! Vote someone in office who really cares! Cause as long as the current administration is in office they are going to SPEND YOUR MONEY! So you better buckle up for the next 3 years ride!

Im disgusted with channel 5, my formerly favorite news channel!! The Federal government is picking on small business!!! And the local news is helping them do it. I'm appalled that Ben Hall and Channel 5 would run a biased story for which there is no evidence. Dr's ORDER people to take ambulances you imbeciles. You obviously can no longer run a small town family business (since 1977 by the way) and make a good living without being attacked and portrayed as a fraud. Woody Medlock is an honest and good man who has done nothing but work hard, provide, and take care of his family. What the government is doing is disgusting to me. Tennessee should be rallying around this family helping them fight back against what is being done to them.I'm currently so ashamed to be an American and a Tennessean that I could vomit!!!!

I am very upset with channel 5 for running such a bias story. I have lived here my entire life and for a business to be attacked like this is horrible. I had a family member who was on medicare and was transported by this service on numerous occasions BY DOCTORS ORDERS and they treated her wonderfully and NEVER once did we feel she or her insurance (MEDICARE) was taken advantage of. I also know of several patients who did not have insurance or the means to pay and they were transported FOR FREE by this same ambulance service. It is obvious that the injustice is being committed by Medicare not Murfreesboro Ambulance Service. P.S. I would have liked to have seen the entire unedited interview.

something i don't understand is this... a private ambulance service doesn't hardly ever do ALS call that is what a 911 service is for. they do BLS calls.... discharges, dialysis, dr appts, transfers some BLS er runs(such as falls, sob) so why would they need to turn their lights on when going to a call... which is one of the comments that was stated in the news channel 5 special. Another thing is why would EMTS/PARAMEDICS over rule a doctors order that is out of their scope of practice and the doctor is the one who ordered an ambulance not the ambulance service. they set up the mode of transportation for patient. maybe people should go to dialysis clinic and see patients there on dialysis.. sometimes patients are very sick after treatment or are too weak to drive.. i think both sides of the story we should hear not just one side.

I think people needs to focus on other things like how bad everything is right now. I mean we have a president thats is going to cause our children to suffer from all the stupid things hes doing. Leave this company alone. Mr Medlock works very hard for everything he has!

My grandmother used this company time after time and all I can say is that they are wonderful! I have never seen such nice people to care for a person that could not speak and she had to go to dialysis 3 times a week. She was in Northside Nursing home while all this took place.Channel 5 makes me sick. let me just tell you that she could count on them every day same time and treated her like she was there family! If my nanny had not had them she would have died without this treatment. For anyone that dont know its very sad for anyone to go through this young or old. So theres no complaints for all this idiots in rutherford county that dont have insurance and we pay for there service. I know that we or a Dr calls for there services and she not Crap on the great job they do:) Thanks for all Medlocks employees for taking such good care of Doreen from the bottom of my heart..

I think that you should be more concerned about the people that are losing their insurance and can't get the medicine that they need and can't afford and can't get the medical care that they need in stead of bothering the people that are trying to help people in need and for caring about the people that they work with but I guess it is easier to do stuff like this instead imagine that but of course that would be to much like right and goodness knows we would not want you to do anything that was even close to right!@

Mr. Ben Hall why didnt you air all the facts, You wanted a story and thats what you aired, your own story.These people finally thought they where gonna be heard,they havent even been charged and their property seized sounds like their guilty and they have to prove themselves innocent, is this the American way I don't think so. This is how you made news??
Just curious is this how all our news from channel five is if so, I'll find another news channel

Well once again the news has made a hard working family out to be a bunch of crooks.I was always led to think that you are guilty until proven that your not well as i see it if the so called government can just show up without a conviction and sieze property and bank accounts then who is really robbing who i have know this family for more than 13 years and crroks they are not .I ask you the agents who took there lively hood and belongings who is robbing who legal ha the justice has not been served until you these so called protecters of the justice system why would you take there posessions when a court case has never been set or anything now i ask you who is the fraud.

All i can say about this is this country is in trouble when agents show up at your door step, and raid your home,mind you without a arrest warrent or, court date , or anything.Have you ever heard of due process? From what i was told this was more like a drug raid, guns drawn. They are guilty of treating people like humans, in stead of some number at Medicare. Where did these agent get their M.D. from anyway that gives them the right to say witch pt. is able to ride anything after a real D.r. give to ok. God bleess M'boro Ambulance and the hard working family that does so good for our community!