Supplies

Phillyrube

Phillyrube

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So I have a retirement gig running a rifle and pistol range. Not hard work, just make sure no one shoots themselves or blows a hole in the ceiling.
Range has an AED, good pads, extra batteries. Got a great industrial type first aid kit: bandaids, Tylenol, alcohol preps, tweezers, first aid cream, sanitary pads, tampons. One CAT.
Uhh, I can do better. So I decide to build a good blowout kit. I have a couple more CATs, a couple Bolen seals, nasal airways with KY. Got 4 grunts with Combat Lifesaver and a retired firefighter who are RSOs with me who coughed these up So I decide to visit the local fire stations that serve us:. One city and 1 county. Our range is in the county but the city dept is closer. I'd like to get some bulk 4x4s, kling, a couple cravats to add. Also like some Quik Clot pads, compressed gauze for wound packing but probably a bit much to beg for.
I go to the city, being the closest. They tell me they are not first due, county is. And no, they cant donate anything. They supply their own stuff, no restock at the hospital. Same with the county. They sympathize but can't provide anything.
Ok, so I can get the club to spring for supplies in but Im surprised they no longer exchange one for one in the ED. They even use disposable sheets and pillows. EMS officer restocks the box.
I retired from EMS in 2017, after 45 years on the box. Is this a new thingy? What do you use for towels?
 
I have never worked anywhere that did one for one restock on anything but linen. Every now and again I can get a pressure infuser but that’s really all I can think of.
 
Been in EMS for around 12 years. We have never done any restock from the hospital to include: medications, supplies, and linen.
 
It used to be the norm around here before EMS billing took the area by storm. After each run we’d drop off a list of the things we had used to the ER and there would be a goody back waiting on us when we came back for the next run.

It all stopped dead once EMS billing started.
 
My region must have been gifted. Restocked in the ED. Get a doc's signature and swap drug box at the pharmacy. A couple hospital's had big vending machines. Put in the patient number and get soft supplies like dressings, airways, etc. Linen was 1 for 1.
The ED I worked in cracked down on linen. We had to take a patient across town, transfer the patient to bed, then get the linen back and bring it home.
 
It's been a while, but I seem to recall there being some interpretation of the anti kickback laws that said hospitals can't restock EMS supplies. It was questionable at best, but I'm not an attorney.
 
If you restock from a hospital, how do you justify billing the pt for supplies used?
 
Never restocked from a hospital until I moved to Maine. I did not even know it "was a thing" until that time. Surprised me. Everywhere I ever worked prior, we had our own supplies, linens included.

As for your supplies, you sound like you got it covered...do you need much more?
 
CCCSD said:
If you restock from a hospital, how do you justify billing the pt for supplies used?
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Many volunteer squads will / used to replenish some supplies at the hospital, because the hospital will bill the patient, but the ambulance won't. So if I transfer the patient on a NRB, I take one from the hospital, since they are going to bill the patient for it anyway. ditto a BVM.

I'm not saying it's right or wrong, only that it happened.

And some EMS agencies still don't bill the patient (for reasons that still boggle my mind) for services rendered
 
I came from a combined system that does not charge. My hospital served several career cities as well as combined career volunteer systems. They only billed for the ride, supplies billed by the hospital. Cost less for the agencies not having to maintain a central warehouse. All this was part of two regional EMS councils
 
akflightmedic said:
Never restocked from a hospital until I moved to Maine. I did not even know it "was a thing" until that time. Surprised me. Everywhere I ever worked prior, we had our own supplies, linens included.

As for your supplies, you sound like you got it covered...do you need much more?
Click to expand...
Yea, Im good on what I need. Not expecting a mass casualty incident.
 
When I worked in Indiana we charged ALS or BLS, then Emergent (Lights and Sirens or just lights) or Non Emergent ( No lights and sirens). We paid for our own supplies.

Here in Utah and Nevada we can bill for a lot of things: Ft job we don't but I work for the Government. PT job we do, and are privately owned. We pay for our own supplies:
 
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