Healthcare reform is putting the Roanoke Valley Rescue in a financial bind, but county commissioners want to see more numbers before considering a $50,000 funding request from the agency.

Commissioners today accepted Commander Mark Collier’s letter requesting the funds as its formal request when the board begins its budget deliberations later in the year.

The letter spells out the reasons the squad needs the funding. “ … The strain of the new healthcare reform continues to cut recovery of our funds from the transport system, which is our only source of revenue for our department,” Collier wrote in the January 7 letter to County Manager Tony Brown.

Collier, who read the letter before commissioners, wrote, “It is unfortunate we are unable to be self-supporting for the 2013 budget year, but with the announced 10 percent ambulance transportation decrease that will affect our operation budget in the amount of $95,000, the Roanoke Valley Rescue Squad is able to fund all but 4 percent of our budget. The rescue squad will not be able to make it through this year without the desperately needed subsidized increase from the county for our 2013 budget year.”

Board Chair James Pierce told Collier the county appreciates the service the rescue squad provides but he wanted to first know the status of a federal lawsuit that was filed nearly three years ago.

Collier explained its former billing service made the errors billing and the squad settled the case for $1.5 million.

Since then the squad has changed billing providers and goes over its budget making sure it is compliant. “We hired an independent reviewer for audit services and last year had a zero percent error rate.”

Pierce also quizzed Collier on cost-cutting measures.

One of the things is a partnership with the Roanoke Rapids Fire Departments for it to handle half of its first responder calls. In 2008, the rescue squad had 32 employees. It now has 16 staff members. The squad cut rescue technicians from three to two. “I feel that is a safe minimum level,” Collier said. “I don’t see how we can cut any more. We’re looking at every grant and figuring out more ways to get every grant we can get our hands on.”

Collier said the squad also meets every month with the county finance officer and EMS director to discuss options.

Pierce suggested not voting on the matter and asked Collier to provide three years of budgets so the county could see how it spends its money and what cuts have been made.