St. Louis Post-Dispatch from St. Louis, Missouri • Page 118

ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH 3N THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1994 NORTH ST. LOUIS COUNTY Hospital To Bill Insurance Firms For Emergency Service Kraft said. Wheadon said the district would make sure the hospital's billing was correct. He said the district would send letters to residents using the emergency service to make sure they had no trouble with their insurance companies.

The directors turned to the insur ance companies after learning that Hazelwood had begun the practice, Wheadon said. The approach was the directors' idea, not Christian Northeast's, he said. The directors found a 1981 legal opinion by John Ashcroft, who was then the state attorney general, saying such billing was proper. John Goffstein, the district's attorney, also gave the directors an opinion that backed the procedure, Wheadon said. The Gateway Ambulance Service of St.

Louis also made a proposal to the directors. The board chose Christian Northeast because its service would be less costly if insurance companies were billed, Wheadon said. HEARTLAND ST. CHARLES SI Charles. MO.

314-047-0505 HEARTLAND SOUTH St. Louis. MO. 314-192-7533 -illjjllliijl HEARTLAND OVER HALF-A-MILLION INDUSTRIES SATISFIED CUSTOMERS SAVE 100's! LOW AS The directors had not thought about Christian Hospital Northeast charging insurance companies when they set the tax rate, the chief said. Wheadon said the directors next year might reduce substantially the ambulance tax rate if the change in billing works as expected.

The fire chief said the change should not lead to any increase in health insurance premiums for district residents. In a closed meeting on Dec. 7, the directors made the decision to retain Christian Northeast for another year and to change the billing system. Directors Al H. Hauswirth and Shannon Duffy supported the decisions.

Jack C. Dunn, the third director, opposed them. Fred Kraft and Mabel McBride, two longtime critics of the district, objected to the directors deciding the matter in closed session. "It had to be done in an open meeting," Kraft said. Wheadon noted legal matters could be considered in closed session.

"What's more legal than a contract?" between the district and Christian Northeast covering the ambulance service, he said. Duffy indicated that contracts should not be negotiated in public. "Contracts are one of the things executive sessions are for. That was my understanding early on when I came on the board," he said. PRICES SLASHED! By Phil Sutin Of the Post-Dispatch Staff Christian Hospital Northeast will bill insurance companies for emergency medical service it provides to residents of the Florissant Valley Fire Protection District beginning Jan.

1. The district will pay the difference between the hospital's charge and the insurance payment, Fire Chief John M. Wheadon said. Now residents pay a tax for ambulance service of 7 cents for each $100 of assessed valuation, and the district pays the entire cost of emergency medical service provided by paramedics and technicians who operate the hospital' life support vehicles and ambulances. The change could lead to a large surplus in the district's ambulance fund a year from now, Wheadon conceded.

"The district expects that insurance companies would pay 70 percent of ithe cost, he said, resulting in the district saving $270,000 a year. Earlier this year, the district's di-' rectors raised the ambulance part of the tax by 2 cents. Wheadon said the number of calls had been rising, and the cost was threatening to exceed the money available. The tax rate increase raised the district's total tax rate to 69 cents from 67 cents. The two-cent tax increase would add about $150,000 to the fund.

PINE Kraft and McBride also objected to the district allowing the hospital billing insurance companies for ambulance service. The district, he said, "can't do that because the people are paying the tax for the service." Residents could be charged twice by the hospital's bill to their insurance company and by paying the tax, HEARTLAND home or rue ymd bmw swee iers Price includes construction on your lot No money down 100 financing available 21st century siding or old fashioned plywood PRICES START AT AS s16 PER no 18 APR 36 Months with approved credit BLACK JACK HOW. Black Jack. MO METRO LAWN EQUIP. Fenton.

MO 314-225-0520 WEBSTER HARDWARE Wetswr Grows MO 314-000-3252 741 7832 2) ARCO EQUIP. Ballwin. MO FESTUS YARD BARNS Festus, MO 314-031-2311 PIONEER LUMBER MarytanO Heights. M0 314-730-1022 394 0044 WE BUILD ALL WINTER. 1 III QUALITY Spaoial discounts tfl list tricot row thn 123114.

Hot (sod with any othor olfor. CARE EQUIPMENT Desoto. MO PROFESSIONAL TOUCH Washington. MO 314-230-3772 BEHLMAN NURSERY Florissant, MO 337 6700 314-741-1003 HEARTLAND-ST. CHARLES BETHALTO HDW.

Bethalto. IL HOME BRITE COMPANY Belleville, IL 010-233-4400 CLEMENTS BROS. CONCRETE East Alton. IL 010-254-0247 259 6252 COME VISIT OUR WAREHOUSE. MANY BUILDINGS ON DISPLAY.

1730 FIRST CAPITOL DR. I Mi ST. a. ONLY 14 ml. north of Hwy.

70 947-9585 MISSOURI RIVER I ft ST. I DIEHLS NURSERY Columbia. IL 010-201-4011 NAMEOKI RENTALS Granite City. IL 010-031-3300 DUDA ACE HARDWARE Staunton. IL 010-035-3300 copyright 1994 Heartland Industries.

Inc. City Accounting Methods Win Praise Of Auditor 314 314 BONUS COUPON 314 20 OFF I ALL OPTIONS WITH ANY YARD I BARN PURCHASE I 010 LNow thru 123194 at all Heartland outlets. I For You LAWN LAWN ACE Have We Got A Package Deal By Lia Nower Of the Post-Dispatch Staff The city of Pine Lawn got a clean report and words of praise from an independent auditor this week. M'You had an outstanding year this year' said Jim Schmersahl of Schmersahl Associates, P.C. Schmersahl commended the Board of Aldermen and Finance Director Pervaiz Butt for conducting business in accordance with proper accounting practices for the period of July 1, 1993, through June 30 of this year.

Unlike in other cities, Schmersahl said, even the municipal court in Pine Lawn was "right on the money." Cash and investments were up by $138,000 over last year, and the city's investments jumped $150,000. That was the good news. The bad news: Trash collection services are costing the city a bundle. So far this year, the city has collected about $105,000 from residents for trash pick-up. But the city has paid the trash hauler an extra $68,142.

Why? Because the city has been paying for trash collection for demolished houses, boarded-up houses and dead-beat residents, says Mayor Adrian Wright. "It's a mess, and we're trying to fix it," Wright said. Three years ago, then-Mayor Pel-ton Jackson and the board signed a contract with Wilson Refuse Inc. for MR A I 4 Lf, 1 4., LAWN trash service. Under the contract, Wright explained, the city pays Wilson about $15,970 monthly a figure based on an estimate of 1,643 houses receiving service.

The problem is that Pine Lawn doesn't have 1,643 houses at least not 1,643 houses with paying residents, Wright said. The city has been paying the total cost although its housing stock has diminished. And some of the residents who get the trash pick-up don't pay their $36-a-month bill, he said. So the council set up a committee, led by Alderman Stacey Fowler, to gather community input. Monday night, Fowler gave the board a two-page memo outlining the comments.

The up-shot is most residents want to choose the number and type of pick-ups they get based on individual needs. And the city wants to get out of the trash business, Fowler said. Instead of spending thousands for an outside company to collect money from residents and send it to the city, Fowler said, city officials would like the trash company to bill and collect from residents directly. The current contract expires Jan. 31.

By then, Fowler said, she hopes the board will have made some decisions about trash service. By April 1, Fowler hopes the city will have trash service that doesn't lose money. CHIMNEY: FREE GAS LOGS FIREPLACES BY, TEMCO 99.9 HEATING EFFICIENCY EASY TO INSTALL PRACTICALLY ANYWHERE VARIABLE TEMPERATURE SETTINGS Thermo-Rite's Celebrity Clearview' Brass-Toned, Tempered-Glass inancinq and 90 day cash optton available Plaza 15053 Manchester Rd. Sat. Fri.

until 9, Sun. 1 2-5 til 1 New stores. The newest Famous Ban in St. Louis. A new Food Court.

Free shopping bags and strollers. Free holiday package wrapping It fs a package deal you won 't want to pass up and jive good reasons to do all your shopping in one easy place. Thermo -Rite" Ths Originators of TEMPERED GLASS FIREPLACE ENCLOSURES We make saving energy a beautiful thing to do. Thermo-Rite's Original Solid Brass, Tempered-Glass Thermo-Rite's Regal Clearview Brass-Plated, Tempered-Glass Made in U.S.A. by Thermo-Rite Steel Reinforced Many Sizes Finishes INSTALLATION AVAILABLE Alternative jamestown man BUILDER INQUIRIES WELCOME GRILL FIRESIDE SHOPPE WESTPORT SOUTH COUNTY BALLWIN 291-5303 849-0077 256-6564 2661 Metro Blvd.

177 Concord 9-5, Sat. Mon. 10-10 Sun. 11-7 Take Highway 367 Exit Linbergh67 South Go One Mile Gifts wrapped must be from mall stores. Some limits may apply..