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The Board of Directors, volunteers, and staff of the Coudersport Volunteer Ambulance Association (CVAA) and the Coudersport Regional Advanced Life Support (ALS) have been hard at work to posture our agency to better respond to your needs and the needs of the community it covers.

We reviewed our current joint billing agreement (contract) this year and have determined that certain changes were required to effectively deliver advanced emergency medical services (ALS) to the community. There are a lot of requirements and increased expenses including numerous medications and advanced equipment that go into ensuring that we can provide ALS (paramedic) services when called upon. Our ALS coverage operates 24/7 to provide advanced care to patients in emergency medical situations throughout Potter County and surrounding counties.

This year, our ALS organization proposed an agreement that would allow for joint billing with each local ambulance company. Thus meaning, CVAA would provide ALS services in support of the local ambulance services in your area, and in return, the local transporting ambulance service would bill the patient’s provided health insurance company for payment of all services, all in one bill submission. In conjunction to this, the Coudersport ALS (owned by CVAA) would then either submit an invoice to the local ambulance service for an agreed upon fixed charge that is set at an agreed amount per intercept call (which is lower than the rate charged to the patient directly for ALS services without the agreed contract). The billing agreement also gave the option for a reasonable split payment after fees are collected from a joint billing company. The local ambulance service (BLS) would keep a larger portion of the payment received and the ALS would acquire the remaining balance paid by insurance.

The joint billing agreements were incorporated to benefit the local patients serviced by providing a mechanism in which major health insurers, including the government, would be able to pay for BOTH the BLS transporting agency services and our ALS services without risking non-coverage or insurance denials. This would also include members with memberships to local ambulance companies, as they would be covered by the agreement and not have an out-of-pocket expense for ALS service charges.

Joint billing agreements/contracts were addressed at multiple county emergency service council meetings and sent out to each local ambulance association across the entire Potter County, portions of Tioga County, as well as McKean and Cameron Counties, that we currently service for ALS. Final correspondence was set for May 1, 2024.

Starting June 1, 2024, if we do not have an agreement/contract on file with your local ambulance service, we will be removing our ALS (paramedic services) from the initial 911 dispatch for that coverage area. Tioga County 911 coordinator is aware of these possible actions.

If your local BLS service declines this contract, additional steps must be made to request our ALS for an additional resource for patient care. After a BLS crew has made a patient assessment on scene, then they may request for an additional resource of ALS, then our ALS may respond if available. Remember this could delay proper patient care, and the local BLS services are also aware of this decision.

If requested for ALS services, we will be forced to directly send a bill to the patient being rendered care. These patients would be reliable to pay for ALS coverage services out-of-pocket, which would amount to a fixed fee ranging from $600.00 to $650.00 per ALS service rendered. This fee may increase at any time.  Without these joint billing agreements, it places patients in an untenable financial position, as ALS claims typically are NOT covered by insurance when billed separately therefore the patient is then responsible for the entire ALS service billed. Insurnace companies only pay the claim submitted by the transporting agency so essentially without a joint billing agreement (joint claim) the claims would have to be billed separately.

We encourage all residents to contact your local Ambulance Associations and municipalities if you have any comments, questions, or concerns about their final decision and if an agreement has been contracted.  We would also like to give our thanks to Shinglehouse Ambulance for their continued dedication towards our ALS services. You may also contact the Coudersport Volunteer Ambulance Association, the Coudersport Regional Advanced Life Support EMS Manager or Board of Directors if you have questions about the proposed contracts. 

Clearfield, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced that a bridge replacement project including a detour around the project site will begin in Otto Township, McKean County on Tuesday, June 18. The bridge is located on Route 346 spanning Tram Hollow Run. This will improve safety and ride quality for motorists by replacing the bridge and bringing the quality to a higher standard.

Route 346 (Main Street/Derrick Road) will be closed, and work will begin June 18. The detour will utilize Route 246 (Looker Mountain Trail) and Route 646 (Summit Road) where each route intersects with 346, routing traffic around the project for a detour length of approximately 12.5 miles.

The existing bridge structure will be removed and replaced with a pre-cast box culvert type bridge. Bob Cummins Construction is the contractor on this $1.5 million project. PennDOT anticipates completion in August, but all work is weather dependent.

​Clearfield, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced a bridge replacement project will begin in Horton Township in Elk County on Monday, June 17. The bridge is situated on Route 2011 (Brandy Camp Road) spanning Karnes Run. This will improve safety and ride quality for motorists by replacing the bridge and bringing the quality to a higher standard.

Route 2011 will be closed and work will begin June 17, under a detour. The detour will utilize Route 2011 (Brandy Camp Road), Route 219 (Buffalo Pittsburg Highway), and Route 948 (Kersey Road).  

The structure is 16 feet long and carries an average of 378 vehicles daily. In addition to replacement of the bridge structure, the road surface around the bridge will also be improved as part of this project. PennDOT anticipates completion at the end of July, but all work is weather dependent.

HARRISBURG – Pennsylvania House Republican Leader Bryan Cutler (R-Lancaster) Monday applauded the bipartisan House passage of legislation he co-prime sponsored to require insurance coverage of biomarker testing in Pennsylvania.

“Biomarker testing not only saves money by providing precision medicine to better treat diseases like cancer and ALS, but—more importantly—it produces better outcomes for patients,” Cutler said. “I thank my House colleagues on both sides of the aisle for supporting this legislation, which is so important to Pennsylvanians, their families, and caretakers who are working together to fight complex disease.”

Cutler noted his work with Rep. Kyle Mullins (D-Lackawanna) and many other stakeholders in getting the legislation through the House.

“This legislation is personal to not only Rep. Mullins and me, but also to many Pennsylvanians who are hoping for a better future in fighting complex diseases,” Cutler said. “I will continue working with all stakeholders to engage the Senate on final legislation so we can deliver on the coverage of precision medicine for Pennsylvania patients and families who are looking for a little relief in difficult circumstances.”

House Bill 1754 passed the Pennsylvania House of Representatives with a vote of 200 to 1. It now heads to the Senate for consideration.

Motorists are advised that a two-year roadway improvement project continues on Route 414 (Water Street), Route 2005 (Blockhouse Road), and Route 2007 (Williamson Road) in Liberty Borough and Liberty Township, Tioga County.

The week of Monday, June 10, 2024, the contractor, Glenn O. Hawbaker, will continue stream relocation on Route 414 (High Street) between the intersection of Blockhouse Road and the North Penn Liberty High School. Motorists can expect single lane conditions with flagging. Work continues with utility relocations, cross pipe replacements, and drainage work in relation to the to replace the 84-inch culvert on Route 414.