An attorney for a McAllen-based ambulance service said the business was caught off guard after Hidalgo County stopped paying for their services.

The alleged unpaid EMS bills are now at the center of a lawsuit filed in August by Med-Care EMS against Hidalgo County and the Hidalgo County Sheriff's Office.

According to the lawsuit, the sheriff's office requested services from Med-Care EMS over 230 times at the jail between April 2021 and May 2023.

Med-Care EMS attorney Reynoldo Ortiz said they’ve yet to see full payment for those calls.

“I've called them several times, I have called the lawyer, but no response from them,” Ortiz said.

Court records show in July 2023, Hidalgo County sent a payment of over $30,000 to Med-Care EMS for 93 of the calls they responded to. 

Hidalgo County responded to the lawsuit denying the allegations.

The sheriff’s office and a spokesperson for Hidalgo County declined to comment on the lawsuit when Channel 5 News reached out to them. 

Med-Care EMS says despite the lack of payment, they will continue to respond to calls made by the sheriff's office.

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