VIENNA — The Maries Osage Ambulance District deficit spent $84,289 for June and $44,856 for the second quarter because the district has been behind on billing, according to Administrator Carla Butler at the July 13 board meeting.

Butler said that once billing is caught up on billing insurance companies and patients for on-call treatments, that revenue should help with the deficit.

The district also hired Shannon Cook as the billing clerk to help the district catch up, but since Cook is new, Butler must double check that there are no errors. MOAD had hired a billing clerk in March, but she only worked for the district about six weeks. But before, the district didn’t have a billing clerk.

For June, the district received $30,385.64 but spent $114,675.08 because it had to pay its vehicle and building insurance.

For the second quarter, MOAD budgeted $412,000 but received $449,042 —$37,042 more than expected. However, for expenses, the district budgeted $412,000 but spent $493,898 — overspending by $81,898, resulting in the current deficit.

Repeater replacement

In other business, the board voted to spend $8,650.80 to replace the repeater instead of filing an insurance claim to avoid increasing premiums.

Mike Smith, chief of the Vienna Fire Protection District, told Butler that they were unable to help pay for the MOAD’s repeater and power supply in Freeburg, allowing the Freeburg location to communicate with the dispatch center. During the June 18 meeting, Butler said that MOAD had previously helped Vienna Fire fix its repeater.

“Just remember it whenever we get a bill from them wanting help,” Butler said.

New ambulance

MOAD has also received its new ambulance.  However, before the truck can be used on a call, it needs to be supplied with radios and equipment. The district also needs to notify the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

2024 audit

Butler also passed the draft independent auditor’s 2024 report for the board to review. She read from the report that MOAD had $450,206 in its account at the beginning of the year and $502,492 at the end of the year. The operating income was negative $407,930, and non-operating receipts (disbursements) was $52,285 total.