Do you think that Harvard residents should be billed for ambulance rides through their insurance companies?

I believe that is it just for the BOS selectman to implement billing for various reasons.

First of all, Harvard itself is in a financial budget crunch as can be seen each year in various ways. Here is an organization that is one of the few ways for the town to fund back some money that it has been investing in and hopefully that money used for the organization go elsewhere in these times of need.

Every resident in Massachusetts is required to have the bare minimum of health insurance. As stated in that billing meeting, the residents of Harvard will NOT be billed, it is the INSURANCE COMPANIES that will be getting the bill. The board of selectman also stated that the patients will not be having to pay the differences. Otherwise, to the townspeople, you get a service your already paying for through your insurance without paying a cent more. If Harvard Ambulance was unable to get a crew for a call for any reason, a surrounding town ambulance would come to provide care for that patient. If that patient wishes to go to the hospital, even if a Harvard Resident, they would still get a bill for that transport. This is for ALL OUR SURROUNDING TOWNS. Through this money brought in by billing, eventually the ambulance squad could become self sustaining, for example when a new ambulance needs to be purchased, rather then taking anywhere from $130K - $200K from an override from the townspeople, this could be paid for from the budget they bring in and that $200K requested could go elsewhere.

As you have probably seen in some of the newspapers, old members of the squad who are giving up / throwing in the towel the because they don't see the same views are saying that this removes the whole idea of volunteerism and will be costing the town substantively more. This is false. The ambulance squad is still operating the same way it has but now bringing some income in rather then just taking. People are still willing to dedicate their time without pay for any emergency call. Also from the statements about it taking more money, there has been absolutely no talk of paid training, stipends for calls or paid positions as director, drivers or leading the well reputation cadet class. There is a reason why most of the towns in Massachusetts EMS squads bill. This isn't a sudden new thought.

No matter what organization you are in, sudden changes will always create conflict and unhappy people in which most commonly is addressed to the townspeople as seen in the recent news papers. I request you take the time to think of the reasoning why this was unanimously passed by our trusted, board of selectman as well as why is it a common practice to most towns in this state and country.

I request YOU take the time to think of the reasoning why a group of volunteers, who have nothing to gain by opposing billing are willing to resign over it.

Good, Point. Why are these people walking off the job? Harvard Ambulance is still a volunteer organization, seems to still be getting the ambulance out responding to calls. Members dont seem to be requesting stipends for calls, requests for full time employees or for paid training. I have not seen this brought up at any of the BOS meetings. The only difference is that now, rather then just consuming tax payers money, eventually money will be made in which it can become self sustaining. No matter what organization you are part of, when large changes are made to help support it to move forward, some members don't see eye to eye and quit. It happens, organizations moves on cause there are still other people dedicated to the cause and the organization continues.

Where is the BOS' cost-benefit analysis to support billing? The ambulance squad has done one, which they distributed to residents (900 copies). It explains in detail the costs associated with billing and supports their stand that billing will cost the town money.

Surely the selectmen examined the numbers carefully before voting this radical change. Again, where is their cost-benefit analysis?

I had been given a flier at the dump about this whole situation. I had done some further looking into after reading and was shocked at what I had saw. After some research I found that that flier that was given to me was misleading. I had watched the Board of Selectman meeting where it was voted upon, where I had seen all that was discussed which was the implementation of billing. The ambulance members had not stated anywhere that they wished to be paid for their training or time. Much of this cost-benefit analysis that was given to me was many hypothetical situations that aren't currently implemented. The ambulance and its members have not stated they want to get paid for training, for calls, for this cadet program or a directors position. So without these hypothetical situations that haven't even been even discussed at a selectman meeting, I'm pretty sure the selectman's cost-benefit was the cold hard facts of what a service would bring in financially through billing patients insurance companies. I had also discussed with a resident where I was informed that this flier was the views of some of its member's and those who resigned and that the ambulance itself does not have a position for this situation, which I believe is the right way for it to be approached. As a town service, the members outside can have a view and fight for it, but while serving as the squad itself, it should follow the orders of the people in charge, which in this case are the Board Of Selectman.

Follow the orders of the people in charge...step in line...sounds like goose step would be the most appropriate.