Iowa Town Considers Billing Insurance Companies For Emergency Responders

Waterloo Fire Rescue may begin billing insurance companies for its cost of responding to car accidents, house fires and other emergencies. Fire Chief Pat Treloar has asked City Council members to consider an ordinance change and contract with a billing company to help recover the city’s cost of providing manpower and equipment. He emphasized the program would only target insurers and would not seek to collect from those involved in the incidents when coverage is not available. “(The proposal) is to bill directly only to insurance,” Treloar said. “The end user would not be billed.” While such programs appear to be rare in Iowa, they have been controversial in other parts of the country.