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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T

SPONSOR:	Regensberg		DATE TYPED:	2/11/03		HB	343
SHORT TITLE:		Mora Valley Ambulance Services				SB
					ANALYST:		Dunbar

APPROPRIATION

Appropriation Contained		Estimated Additional Impact		Recurring or Non-Rec	Fund Affected
FY03	FY04	FY03	FY04
	$50.0			Recurring	GF

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Relates to Appropriation in the General Appropriation Act

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

Responses Received From

Department of Health (DOH)

Health Policy Commission (HPC)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Bill 343 appropriates $50,000 from the general fund to the Department of Health for expenditure in fiscal year 2004 to fund ambulance services for Mora Valley Community Health Services.

Significant Issues

Mora County is an extremely rural/frontier county with a total population of 4,945 people, averaging only 2.6 persons per square mile. Vehicle accidents are the third leading cause of death in Mora County and account for a major portion of the approximately 178 EMS responses that occur there annually. In addition, many residences are spread out and personal transportation is limited for some families. The ambulance service is a critical safety net for both residents and tourists.

Due to the limited volume and the low socio-economic indicators in Mora County, there is no other source of funding that will sustain ambulance services for the area other than what is appropriated annually by the legislature.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $50.0 contained in this bill is a expense to the general fund. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of FY 04 shall revert to the general fund.

In the current fiscal year Mora Valley Community Health Services is receiving $36,325 for their ambulance service. A similar amount is in the proposed base budget (HB2) for FY 04.

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

The Injury Prevention and EMS Bureau would initiate and manage the contract with Mora Valley Community Health Services within current staff resources.

OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES

The ambulance service which serves Mora Valley is certified by the Public Regulation Commission as a Basic Life Support ambulance service, but occasionally they provide more advanced (EMT-Intermediate) level of response. They have a physician medical director, EMS service director and a training coordinator. They respond when dispatched for all medical and traumatic emergencies within the Village of Mora and all of western Mora County.

DOH reports that the funding proposed in HB 343 provides an essential safety-net ambulance service that may not otherwise be available, or that may only be available with slower volunteer response, for a rural/frontier community.

BD/yr