Vim & Vigor - Winter 2008 - (Page 55)

sense dollars & deciding who picks up the trauma tab isn’t as easy as you might think The Flight For Life helicopter Y ou’re driving west on I-70. Weather’s clear. Traffic is light. All’s well. Until the SUV to your left swerves to miss the pylons that have just fallen from the truck ahead … and broadsides your car. Within minutes, law enforcement has arrived and paramedics are providing care to you and your family. The bright orange Flight For Life Colorado helicopter lands, ready to transport the most seriously injured to the Level I Trauma Center at St. Anthony Central Hospital. So, who’s financially responsible? The trucker who lost the pylons? The driver whose car slammed into yours? And who will pay for this critically needed “first responder” care? Good question. And one that has raised considerable concern among EMS first responders, medical providers, Colorado’s legislators and law enforcement agencies these past five years. And no system, particularly one that must respond in seconds with the highest level of care, can run without funding. In early 2008, a study released by the Governor’s Office substantiated the need to modify the current auto insurance system to ensure that Colorado citizens are covered in the event of a motor vehicle crash. The study, in which St. Anthony Central Hospital Trauma Services and other Centura Health providers participated, confirmed that the no-faultto-tort switch in 2003 “caused unprecedented declines in reimbursement for the state’s trauma service providers … placing the entire system at risk.” ❋ a step in the right direction ❋ who should pay? In 2003, the State of Colorado switched from no-fault auto insurance to the tort system. The change was intended to stabilize or even reduce the rates Coloradans paid for insurance coverage. But with that potential came a serious problem. No longer were the costs of prehospital and trauma care assured by the insurer up to $100,000. Without such coverage, individuals were left with the unexpected brunt of the financial responsibility, having to sue to recover costs if the other party had insurance. Reimbursement to the state’s 64 trauma centers and its EMS agencies—fire departments and ambulance services—remained in limbo throughout litigation. In response, bipartisan Senate Bill 08-011 was introduced and subsequently passed by the Legislature. It requires $5,000 of medical payments coverage on all auto insurance policies issued in Colorado, but also allows those purchasing insurance to opt out in writing. The additional coverage will provide reimbursement for initial care, starting with first responders. Ray Coniglio, director of trauma services at St. Anthony Central Hospital, says the action is less a solution and more like a first step. “St. Anthony Central Hospital provides medical direction and oversight for 53 agencies all along the Front Range and Central Mountains. These are the front-line people, and lack of funding has left them most vulnerable,” Coniglio says. “This is a start.” photograph by Dan SiDor photography vim & vigor • wi nter 2008 55

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Winter 2008

Vim & Vigor - Winter 2008 Contents Friendly Faces For Your Health 'Tis the Season to be Safe Eat Your Veggies Joint Effort Fresh Beginnings Decades of Opportunity Keeping Score Your Big Give Roll Up Your Sleeve Tidings of Comfort and Health Blueprint for Safety The Smoke-Free Mom-to-Be Childbirth Trends Moms Choosing Midwives Community Sections Dollars & Sense Ask the Experts

Vim & Vigor - Winter 2008

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