Cleveland city leaders raised rates billed to insurers for ambulance services for the first time in almost two decades, Fox 8 reported Aug. 9.
The new rates will be between $750 and $1,300. Rates previously ranged between $350 and $500.
"I would certainly say this rate hike is long overdue," Cleveland City Councilman Charles Slife told the publication. "Our rates haven't been updated in 20 years, and obviously everything costs a little bit more, to say the very least. So our rates need to reflect inflation."
Mr. Slife continued that the old rates were too low to get fully reimbursed from Medicare or Medicaid.
The rate increase is also expected to help retain EMS workers. Currently, Cleveland EMS is losing multiple workers per week to work for private hospitals paying higher wages, according to the publication.