MID-HUDSON – Empress EMS has announced the acquisition of Mobile Life Support Services (MLSS), bringing together two of the largest EMS ambulance service providers together. The negotiations have been ongoing for more than six months, according to MLSS co-founder Gayle Metzger. Both EMS providers issued statements to their employees on Monday.
“I believe this sale is in the best interest of our business and will allow it to move forward in the hands of a larger, nationwide, well-respected entity,” Metzger told her employees. Mobile Life was founded in 1981 by Gayle and her late husband, Rick Metzger. They have recently suffered financial setbacks after a 2022 settlement with New York State Attorney General Tish James regarding illegal billing practices by the service provider.
According to the attorney general, Mobile Life billed patients for the difference between what their insurance plans paid and what the company charged in an unlawful practice known as “balance billing,” and would refer some unpaid accounts to a debt collector. As a result of an investigation by the attorney general, Mobile Life was required to pay full restitution plus interest to affected patients, request closure of all relevant accounts with debt collectors, update its billing practices, and pay a $100,000 penalty.
The sale is expected to be finalized in the next few days, according to an Empress announcement.
Both companies have told employees that additional information and transition plans will be made available to the staff beginning this week.
