City of Henderson Deputy Chief Scott Vivier poses on a rescue unit at Fire Station #82 in Henderson Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2022. The city offers LifeRide Ambulance Membership plans that will cover the cost of two ambulance rides for emergency purposes per year.
Monday, Aug. 29, 2022 | 2 a.m.
Patricia Weddell of Henderson has atrial fibrillation, a heart condition with symptoms such as shortness of breath and fatigue.
At age 83, she fears the condition will require emergency medical attention. That’s why she signed up for a subscription service that offers customers two transports per year in a Henderson Fire Department ambulance at a discount or at no charge.
The only requirement is an annual fee of $59 for an individual, or $100 for a family of up to six people.
LifeRide, a service offered since 2019 through the city of Henderson, is designed to help residents who might have trouble paying for an ambulance ride.
Program members receive emergency medical assessment, treatment and emergency ambulance transportation provided by paramedics with the Henderson Fire Department.
In Clark County, the maximum allowable ambulance service rate ranges from $1,164.47 for transport at the earliest possible time, to $1,383.35 for critical care transport. Additionally, there is a $32.94 per mile charge.
Fair Health, a nonprofit organization that works to help consumers understand health care costs, says costs associated with ambulance transports have “steadily increased” in the past five years. An ambulance trip now averages close to $1,300 nationwide, according to the organization.
Regardless of the price, the charge — or fear of being charged — prompts many facing an emergency to decline having an ambulance transport them.
After catching her leg between a subway car and a rail platform in 2018, a Boston woman’s plea to avoid an ambulance transport — despite a deep gash to her thigh — went viral. The 45-year-old woman said, “Do you know how much an ambulance costs? It’s $3,000. I can’t afford that.”
Weddell won’t have that worry. Although she hasn’t had to use the LifeRide service, she has gained piece of mind.
“I feel much more at ease now,” Weddell said. “If anything should come, I know that I will call for help. I’m not panicked over the price.”
As of last week, the city counted more than 350 subscribers with more than 1,000 people covered by the program, said Scott Vivier, deputy fire chief for the Henderson Fire Department. The subscription also comes with a department-sponsored “Lifesaver” course that includes CPR and “emergency bleeding” training.
A subscriber does not need to have medical insurance to sign up. Those with insurance will pay no out-of-pocket costs for a transport while those without insurance will receive a 20% discount on their bill.
According to a recent report by The Intercept, a nonprofit news organization, nearly half of U.S. states have programs similar to the one in Henderson. LifeRide is believed to be the only one of its kind in Southern Nevada
“The value goes a long way,” Vivier said. “We know we’re a public service, so we wanted to make sure that this was value-based because we wanted it to benefit the public, not benefit us. We wanted it to be easy too.”
Vivier said the LifeRide program sustained itself, financially, which he said was important, though he stressed that it was not a “profit-making venture” for the city.
“We’re required by law that all of the proceeds from the program go back into the program, or back to members,” Vivier said. “Whatever is written off that the citizen doesn’t pay for, that has to come out of the (LifeRide) account.”
Vivier said the city would preside over 35,000 emergency medical service calls this year along, about 70% of which will include a transport to a medical facility.
Henderson is home to 11 fire stations, with a 12th set to open in the Cadence master planned community before the end of 2022.
