Dec. 17--Palm Beach County commissioners on Tuesday agreed to increase the fees fire-rescue charges to transport the sick and injured to the hospital.
Under the plan, the fee for basic life support transportation would increase to $590 on Jan. 1, up from the current level of $530.
Transportation for the most serious injuries and illnesses, known as Advanced Life Support-2, would rise to $750, up from the current level of $690.
The county also plans to increase its mileage rate for emergency transportation to $11.50 per mile. The current fee is $10.
The new rates are expected to generate about $2 million in additional revenue next year. County officials said the increase is intended to help fire-rescue collect the maximum allowable fees from Medicare.
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