Sun City CAN to help residents with fees

Sun City residents billed for the Sun City Fire and Medical Department’s Treatment in Place fee can now get help making the payment if they qualify.

Beginning July 1, 2025, SCFMD officials established the TIP fee of $315.80 for patients who call the department for assistance but are not treated on the scene with medication and are not transported by ambulance to a hospital. The help for patients who cannot afford the fee will come from the Sun City Community Assistance Network.

CAN’s new program will be available beginning Nov. 1. It is a pilot program and will be reviewed monthly by the CAN board of directors, according to Tom DeVries, CAN board president.

“This is something we believe is a real need in the community,” DeVries said.

The program will pay the TIP fee direct to the SCFMD’s ambulance billing company which will then send the funds to the fire department. The program is available to Sun City residents only, and they must meet a set of requirements to qualify, according to Debbie Campacci, CAN executive director.

“This program is specifically designed for those residents who face financial challenges,” she said. “And there are limited funds for the program.”

To be eligible for the program, applicants must be full-time Sun City residents 55 years of age or older with no one under age 19 living in their home. Applicants’ income cannot exceed 225 percent of the current federal poverty levels. There are other limitations to savings, investments, IRAs and others.

CAN will fund the TIP fee one time only for each eligible patient, according to Campacci.

“This will provide some financial relief from the burden they may experience from a medical emergency,” Capacci said.

It will also assist the SCFMD with payment for the service and may prevent delays in payment or sending them to collection for an unpaid bill, according to DeVries.

Residents who are on Medicaid do not qualify for the program because that agency covers to fee. Patients who have private insurance that covers the fee also do not qualify. The TIP fee is not currently covered by Medicare.

The CAN board approved the program during its September meeting. Applicants for the program must fill out an application and provide some documentation. Apply at the CAN office at 10195 W. Coggins Drive.