By Becky Long
Publisher
Newly appointed commissioner William “Bill” Carter took the oath of prior to taking his seat at the table with the rest of the board during the county commissioner’s meeting, Thursday, April 2.
Commission Chairman Dr. Rob Peck delivered the oath of office and noted to Carter, “You’ve got big shoes to fill over there.”
Carter is filling the seat vacated after Commissioner Dwight Penland died in March. Carter was recommended by the executive committee of the Clay County GOP. He will serve in an interim capacity through December, but will be running on the November general election ballot for the remaining two years of Penland’s four-year term.
The commissioners first line of business was renewal of two emergency air medical transportation contracts. “The reason we have two is so everybody’s covered,” said Commissioner Scotty Penland.
Air Methods
Air Methods works under a cost-sharing agreement in which they pay $800 per transport for Clay County residents, after billing the patients’ insurance. The company has a landing pad in nearby Union General in Blairville.
Air Methods will cover Clay County residents who need the service outside the confines Clay and surrounding counties. For example is a resident is out of the county on vacation and is injured, they are most likely covered. “Air Methods covers all over the lower 48 states,” said Commissioner Clay Logan.
It was noted that Air Methods provided 34 transports in the county last year.
“Covered patients” mean residents of Clay County who are transported by Air Methods who are:
• Uninsured or beneficiaries of the Medicare program, a state Medicaid program, or any other third party payer; provided, covered patients shall not include any county resident insured by a commercial health plan for which Air Methods is in-network and for which Air Methods has determined that the resident’s cost-sharing amounts shall not be paid by the county.
• During the term of the agreement, Air Methods will bill third party payers (including without limitation automobile insurance, if applicable), where applicable, for each covered transport. After receiving final payment from all responsible third party payers, Air Methods will bill Clay County for the covered Patient’s cost-sharing amount for covered transport, not to exceed $800.
The county’s maximum responsibility for cost-sharing fees payable by Clay County during the term shall not exceed $27,722.00.
AirMedCare
Any individual who resides within the boundaries of Clay County when transported for medical necessity by Med-Trans Corporation (or any AirMedCare network provider) will be covered under the standard terms and conditions for an AirMedCare Network membership (attached), except:
• Transport must be from a pickup location in Clay County, Cherokee County, or Towns County, or Union County, Ga.; and
• If the covered individual transported is uninsured at the time of transport or is an inmate at the Clay County Correctional Facility at the time of transport, Med-Trans Corporation will bill the covered individual or Clay County Correctional Facility at the Medicare allowable rate for the transport.
“These programs have always been a great thing for our community,” said Commission Randy Nichols. “This has saved our taxpayers/citizens millions of dollars. We’re glad to be a part of both of these because it affects our citizens directly.”
Coverage of County Manager Debbie Mauney’s detailed update of projects in Clay County and DSS Director Todd Goins speaking about how the county will be affected by HR1 will be reported in next week’s issue.