LAPEER COUNTY, Mich. – Several Emergency Medical Services providers across Michigan are owed a lot of money for runs to prisons.
Roughly $6 million is owed and it could cost taxpayers again.
The EMS runs fall under the Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC), but the money hasn’t been paid and lawmakers are taking notice.
Lapeer County EMS is one of more than two dozen providers who haven’t been paid for prison runs.
How did this happen?
MDOC pays a third-party contractor who allegedly didn’t pay EMS. The Attorney General sued the company and it filed for bankruptcy.
“MDOC is saying that they already paid the funds. It’s not their fault. It’s somebody else’s fault,” said Russ Adams, with Lapeer County EMS. “I never received the funds. $140,000 is a lot of money.”
Without that money, Lapeer County EMS may have to reduce staffing or delay replacing life-saving equipment.
Of the providers waiting for payment, in the top 10 are Ann Arbor, Clinton Township, Howell and Lapeer.
“There are agencies that have already had to cut down coverage,” Adams said. “They’ve had to postpone purchase of replacement rigs. I know of agencies that are owed over half a million dollars.”
While the AG’s lawsuit could take years to conclude, some lawmakers say Lansing needs to act now.
“I implore my colleagues in both the House and Senate to take a hard look at the Appropriations Bill and pass it so these municipalities can get running again,” said Rep. Jaime Greene.
EMS providers are mandated by state and federal law to respond to 911 calls, but many are left wondering who is making sure they can keep the lights on.
“I don’t understand finger pointing that says this budget or that administration or this leadership should have handled it when my agency can’t provide life-saving treatments and interventions because of their lack of payment,” Adams said.
“We need to take a hard look at MDOC and who they engage with contracts with, because this has been going on for years and it’s not fair to taxpayers,” Greene said.
The Appropriations Bill would need to pass the House and then the Senate before making its way to the governor’s desk and that could be an uphill battle.
In the meantime, some EMS providers may have to make some difficult decisions while they’re waiting for payment.