THOUSAND ISLANDS RESCUE TO STOP OFFERING

SAFEGUARD PROGRAM

The New York State Attorney General’s office has undertaken an investigation into membership programs offered by ambulance services across the state. Because these programs essentially allow members to not pay a portion of a billable insurance charge, they are of the opinion that these subscription programs are insurance policies and that ambulance services do not have a license to sell insurance.

Ambulance subscription programs are very common in every state across the entire nation and multiple non-profit services are supported by them. Many other state’s attorney generals do not consider them anything but donations to local volunteer ambulance services similar to TIERS.

While the NYS Attorney General’s office has not demanded that any ambulance services suspend their programs, TIERS’ current billing company, Multi-Med, have suggested TIERS should stop offering the program. Accordingly, TIERS will suspend its SAFEGUARD membership program and will no longer accept new members.  

TIERS, as well as multiple other non-profit ambulance organizations are being affected by this action and are under the opinion that membership programs are not the same as insurance policies and that the interpretation of  them should be reconsidered by NYS Attorney General’s Office.

We feel our membership programs provides a vital link to more affordable healthcare while, at the same time it assists local community ambulance in the ability to purchase life saving equipment.

Most of these agencies, just as TIERS, struggle to make ends meet and count on community donations related to membership programs to aid in sustaining day to day operations, nor is there any means to address this by hiring legal representation.

We encourage you to contact your local assembly representative and your state senator to pass a law or change current legislation allowing non-profit ambulance organizations to offer membership programs.

Click here for letter to:                                                      Click here for letter to:

State Senator Darrel J. Aubertine                                        Assemblymember Addie J. Russell

317 Washington Street, 4^th Floor                                        Dulles State Office Building, Suite 210

Watertown, NY 13601                                                        317 Washington Street
                                                                                        Watertown, NY 13601