For many years, LaVale Volunteer Rescue Squad provided 100% free emergency medical services to the community. As the cost of medications, medical equipment, utilities, and other necessities continued to increase, we were no longer able to do this. In fact, we were the last rescue squad in Allegany County to begin billing for patient care. While we now bill for providing emergency services, we are proud that our members are still volunteers.
Patients or family members sometimes call the rescue squad with questions about a bill they received. Please understand that LaVale Volunteer Rescue Squad does not handle billing directly. Our billing is handled by Medical Claim-Aid, a Maryland company located in Denton, Maryland.
Medical Claim-Aid does the necessary medical coding and submits bills for payment in accordance with nationally standardized rates. We have no direct control over billing rates, as they are set by the Federal Government for individual services provided, such as mileage, medications, and level of care required.
Questions about a bill you received?
Please call Medical Claim-Aid directly at 1-800-432-5940 or visit the Medical Claim-Aid website, and they will be happy to assist you.
Requesting a copy of a Patient Care Report (PCR)?
Patients, attorneys, law enforcement, or anyone else requesting a copy of a Patient Care Report (PCR) should send the request to our Privacy Officer (the Chief) by mail to 977 National Hwy, LaVale, MD 21502, or by email to chief@lavalerescue.org.
Please include the patient’s name, date of birth, date of service, and County Incident Number (if available). Patients may request a copy of their own record upon presentation of appropriate identification. Other parties, such as attorneys, must include a release of information form signed by the patient.
Please protect your information when using email. Regular email is not secure and can be read or intercepted by others while it is in transit. We strongly encourage you to send requests by encrypted email. Many email services offer this; for example, in Outlook or Microsoft 365, choose Encrypt before sending. If you cannot send encrypted email, please mail or drop off your request instead, or call us at 301-729-4458 and we will help you find a secure way to send it.
For more about your rights, including your right to a copy of your records, see our Notice of Privacy Practices.