Paramedic Assessment Fees Increase More Than $200 In Redondo Beach

REDONDO BEACH, CA — Redondo Beach residents now pay an additional $200 fee for pre-hospital paramedic assessment fees when they call 911, according to the city's 2023-24 budget.

The fee covers items such as oxygen therapy, electrocardiogram monitoring, bandaging, intravenous solutions, medical supplies and the personnel costs of providing pre-hospital treatment.

"The Redondo Beach Fire Department provides platinum-level EMS care to its community and responds to over 7,000 calls per year, with approximately 90 percent of the calls requiring EMS paramedic services," the budget proposal says.

According to the budget, a recent fee survey of other cities found that First Responder fees vary from $250 to $400 and are common in nearby cities such as Long Beach, Burbank and Pasadena.

Redondo Beach residents paid a fee of $100 per call since 2010 when the fee was established. The passage of the budget in June raised the fee to $313 effective July 1. The fees are billed to the patient's insurance company and contain a compassionate billing clause if they are unable to pay, city officials said.

Councilmember Nils Nehrenheim held a community meeting Monday where he stated he opposed the fee increase. The specific verbiage of the fee increase will need to come before the Council to clarify how much the city will charge and who will be responsible for paying the fees.

"I don't think it's appropriate for us to be charging for 911 fees or paramedic fees," Nehrenheim said during the meeting.