County refuses ambulance settlement

A check delivered to the county covers only one-third of the bill owed by four hospitals and will be returned.

By DEBORAH O'NEIL

© St. Petersburg Times,
published June 13, 2001

CLEARWATER -- Four area hospitals that have been sued by Pinellas County made a settlement offer that included a check for $307,958.49.

On Tuesday, as the check sat in a safe in the County Attorney's Office, the County Commission said no thanks. The check delivered Monday represented only about one-third of the $1.1-million the four hospitals owe Pinellas County for ambulance services dating back to 1996.

County Attorney Susan Churuti said accepting the offer could create problems with four other local hospitals that have paid their bills in full.

"For us to be in a position to even consider a 68 percent discount on a bill of services rendered is not acceptable," said Commissioner Bob Stewart.

"I'm not willing to accept that offer as a final payment," Commissioner Susan Latvala said.

The commission directed the county's legal staff to continue pursuing litigation against Morton Plant, Mease Dunedin, Mease Countryside and St. Anthony's hospitals, which are all affiliated with BayCare, a network of local hospitals. Senior Assistant County Attorney Julie Scales said the check will be returned to Morton Plant Mease Healthcare.

BayCare attorney Emil Marquardt told the commission the settlement amount represented an offer made by the county earlier this year.

"We delivered the check," Marquardt said. "True, I'm sure Susan (Churuti) would say the settlement was off the table, but we are complying with the offer."

Marquardt reminded commissioners that the county did not notify the hospitals about the bills until 1999, three years after a state law began requiring that hospitals pay for ambulance transport of patients taken to mental health facilities for psychiatric evaluation.

"We really don't believe you have a claim for anything prior to October 1999," Marquardt said.

Commissioners were not persuaded, particularly after learning that smaller hospitals, like Suncoast Hospital, have paid ambulance bills from the start.

Commissioners John Morroni, a former state legislator, and Barbara Sheen Todd said they didn't buy the hospitals' argument that they didn't know the money was owed. The hospitals, Morroni said, have people in Tallahassee tracking health-care-related legislation.

"It seems odd to me these hospitals didn't receive notice yet the other hospitals were aware of their responsibilities," Todd said. "That doesn't compute for me."

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