County Council rejects plan to charge for ambulance service

A proposal to impose a fee for ambulance service -- at least for patients with health insurance -- has been rejected by the County Council amid uncertainty about how the measure would be implemented.

However, the idea proposed last year by County Executive Janet S. Owens will remain under study by the administration, which is studying such concerns as the cost of billing, the legality of seeking fees only from some users, and elderly riders' receiving bills and worrying about paying for the service.

The council had voted earlier to delay implementation of the billing plan by six months, to July 1, while the issues were reviewed.

Marvin Bond, chief of staff for Owens, said last night that the council members -- while voting down the fee plan late Tuesday -- "wanted us to continue to explore this."