ORANGE COUNTY PERSPECTIVE : Bad Idea: Paramedic ‘User Fee’

It’s understandable but unfortunate that the Orange County Board of Supervisors has decided to start charging people for emergency paramedic services. Such “user fees” have become popular with local governments since the tax-cutting Proposition 13 was approved nearly 12 years ago, but that doesn’t make them right. Lifesaving services--such as paramedic responses--should be included as a part of the basic services paid for under general taxes.

The new paramedic charges are part of a County Fire Department restructuring plan that would raise $4.2 million a year through “user fees” on a wide range of department services. Before the proposal goes into effect, the county board and each of the 13 cities that contract with the county for fire services need to approve it. The cities are Cypress, Dana Point, Irvine, La Palma, Los Alamitos, Mission Viejo, Placentia, San Juan Capistrano, Seal Beach, Stanton, Tustin, Villa Park and Yorba Linda. Five cities that have their own fire departments--Huntington Beach, Santa Ana, Orange, Anaheim and Fullerton--already charge similar fees for paramedic services.

The proposal approved by the Board of Supervisors represents a compromise with Leisure World in Laguna Hills, where elderly residents are understandably concerned about having emergency medical services readily available. The plan approved by the board requires that the Fire Department develop a fee schedule that takes into consideration discounts for senior citizens as well as the user’s ability to pay. A plan to allow whole communities to subscribe to paramedic services will also be studied.

While it is true that paramedic services represent an expansion in the traditional services provided by fire departments, it would be better for local governments to find other ways to pay for them. The mere existence of such fees is an added worry for low-income or fixed-income people, particularly the elderly.