At its meeting Wednesday, the ambulance board decided to have its budget committee review preliminary work of the standardized fee schedule, which would allow ambulance services nationwide to charge the same fees for their services.

Ambulance supervisor Mike Swift said the local ambulance service is "average" in the fees it charges, according to a comparison study compiled last year.

The ambulance service charges a base rate of $125 plus $3.50 per loaded mile for basic life support runs and a base rate of $250 plus $3.50 per loaded mile for advanced life support runs, he said.

The new schedule, which may take effect Jan. 1, 2001 if approved by the national Health Care Financing Administration, would separate fees into six categories.

"All of the new fee schedules at the lowest proposed reimbursement rate are higher than (those) currently being reimbursed and charged," Swift said.

That means, for example, if HCFA decides to reimburse ambulance services $133 for a basic life support run, then Barren-Metcalfe Ambulance Service would only receive $125 unless it increases its rates.

An increase would allow the ambulance service to take advantage of an increase in Medicare revenues and help reduce its operational deficit, Swift said.

"We hopefully will gain from this because the only way we can go is up," he said. "That has the potential to generate a considerable amount of money."

The ambulance board also expressed concern at its meeting of posing hardships on users of the service, and it may gradually phase in a rate increase if the board decides one is necessary.

Again, the budget committee will review the advantages and disadvantages of the proposed fee schedule and present its ideas to the ambulance board later.

The ambulance board approved renovations of the headquarters building on East Main Street. T.J. Samson Community Hospital representatives presented a proposal to use its personnel to help relocate the offices to the front of the building and living quarters to the back of the building.

It will also perform the needed changes to make the building handicapped-accessible and in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The board will also put blown insulation into the steel roof to prevent condensation from forming during the winter, which is causing ceiling tiles to deteriorate.

The estimated cost of the renovations is $45,735.70. Swift said the ambulance board may also use inmates in the Barren County Class D Felon Program for labor to help reduce the cost.

The ambulance service headquarters opened in June 1982, and this will be the first renovation, he said.