About WPCATA
Founded in 2009, the Western Payne County Ambulance Trust Authority (WPCATA) is responsible for assuring quality Emergency Medical Service (EMS) for the western two-thirds of Payne County and surrounding areas. Through a competitive bid process, WPCATA selected LifeNet, Inc., private ambulance company, to provide emergency medical service in Western Payne County. LifeNet service began in May 2011 and ensures the quality and financial standards of the services provided by LifeNet.
WPCATA is led by a board of directors that includes:
- Jerry Moeller, Trust Chair
Stillwater Medical Center Appointee - Elaine Ackerson
City of Stillwater Appointee - Christa Louthan
Oklahoma State University Appointee - Cassie Wilson
Perkins/Glencoe Appointee - Harland Wells
Payne County Appointee.
THE RESIDENT BENEFIT PROGRAM
LifeNet provides the highest level of emergency ambulance care available.
For you and your loved ones, this means the best possible treatment – and the best chance for a full recovery – after a car wreck, heart attack, serious fall or other medical crisis.
What is the RBP?
WPCATA’s Resident Benefit Program (RBP) helps fund a higher level of ambulance service for the community and provides you with valuable benefits. If you’re transported by LifeNet within the WPCATA service area, LifeNet will bill your insurance, Medicare or Medicaid provider and accept their payment as payment-in-full. If your insurance provider denies a LifeNet claim, or you don’t have coverage, you’ll be charged a reduced fee (40% off standard rates) for service.
Who is covered?
All residents of participating households, regardless of their age or whether they are a blood relative of the utility account holder, receive benefits. Persons must live at the participating household address to be covered. Coverage only includes transport provided directly by a LifeNet ambulance. If you need transport outside of the service area, you may be responsible for out-of-pocket charges from another EMS service.
What is covered?
The program covers medically necessary transports to a hospital emergency room. It does not provide benefits for non- emergency transports without a physician certification statement (PCS), or repetitive transports for services such as dialysis, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. The program does not cover non-emergency transports to and from a doctor’s office, a dentist‘s office, a physical therapy center, or other non-hospital facilities. Transports originating outside of the WPCATA service area are also not included.
What is the Cost?
The program is available for $5 per month.
FAQs
The western two-thirds of Payne County including the cities of Stillwater, Perkins and Glencoe. The Resident Benefit Program applies only to transports in the service area provided by WPCATA/LifeNet.
Due to rising medical costs and declining reimbursement, ambulance providers are not able to operate based solely on revenues from patients they transport. Some cities fund ambulance service through general fund dollars. Funding ambulance service through the RBP frees up general fund tax dollars for other community needs, and in return, citizens receive valuable benefits.
Members who do not have insurance, Medicare, or Medicaid are charged a reduced fee (40% off the standard rates) after a transport. If you are not a member and don’t have insurance, you may be responsible for the entire LifeNet bill.
WPCATA/LifeNet provides ambulance service to the western two-thirds of Payne County, Stillwater, Perkins and Glencoe. Your program benefits will apply to transports within the WPCATA/LifeNet service area. If you need an ambulance while at work – or if you’re on vacation in another state, for that matter – a different ambulance provider will respond and you may be responsible for paying out-of-pocket charges.
Nursing homes and assisted living facilities are not classified as residential utility customers. This program is available only to residential utility customers. However, any individual living in a facility can receive the program benefits by submitting payment and a completed Subscription Application.
If the utility account is in permanent service rather than temporary service you will still have to opt out to avoid the charges. Check with your utility service provider. Some providers allow utility services to be temporarily suspended and your account would not be billed if your service provider offers a temporary service option.
Since the temporary service agreement states that no one will be living at the location under this agreement, the account would not be charged.
You may complete a Subscription Application found at paynecounty-ems.org and pay an annual fee of $60.00.
No. The Resident Benefit Program does not afford benefits to utility account holders, but rather to individuals living at participating addresses.
No. A participating utilities customer does not need to purchase an individual WPCATA membership for a spouse in a nursing home.
No. Once you have made your choice to stay in the program or opt out, that decision will carry forward each year.
Yes. You may return to your utility provider and request a form to receive program benefits which will resume on the date of your next utility bill. If you are not a utility customer of Stillwater, Perkins, Glencoe, or CEC, you may submit a Subscription Application. That can be found on the main home page of this web site.
Yes. The Resident Benefit Program does not provide benefits for non-emergency transports (a medical transfer that does not have a hospital emergency room as the final destination) without a physician certification statement. Also, repetitive transports for services such as dialysis, radiation therapy and chemotherapy are not included. The program does not cover non-emergency transports to and from doctors’ offices, dentists’ offices, physical therapy centers and other non-hospital facilities. Transports originating outside of the WPCATA service area are also not included.
RBP participants do not have to pay the usual 20% Medicare copayment, a standard insurance deductible, or a balance after a partial payment. If your provider denies a claim outright, you’ll be charged a reduced fee for transport.
The Resident Benefit Program is available for $5 per month, which is conveniently included on your municipal utility bill (Stillwater, Perkins, or Glencoe) or on your CEC Electric Utility bill. This fee covers the utility account holder and all permanent members of the household.
All residents of participating households, regardless of their age or whether they are a blood relative of the utility account holder, receive benefits. Persons must live at the participating household address to be covered. Coverage only includes transport provided directly by a LifeNet ambulance. If you need transport outside of the service area, you may be responsibile for out-of-pocket charges from another EMS service.
CONTACT WPCATA TODAY
Mail
WPCATA
c/o Stillwater Medical Center
1323 W. 6th Street
Stillwater, OK 74074-4306
Phone
405-742-5230