The Cost of Care in Montgomery County

The cost of colonoscopies, MRIs, CT scans and mammograms cost significantly more in Montco than the city.

It costs $740 more to get a colonoscopy in Montgomery County than Philadelphia. That's according to data from New Choice Health, a private company that encourages people to become smarter healthcare consumers. In fact, the cost for a colonoscopy in Montgomery County is also higher than the state-wide average by $80. But the costs for other procedures measured in the data such as a CT scan, MRI and mammogram are below the state average. These big regional differences have been in the news lately: As the Washington Post wrote on Wednesday, "One hospital charges $8,000 - another $38,000." Using the same data as the Post, The New York Times listed out the prices of a series of procedures in hospitals across the country. The Times and the Post…

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SEPTA Montgomeryville Routes Saved

SETPA will adjust trip times for Routes 94 and 132

Take SEPTA to and from Montgomeryville? Your routes are safe. SEPTA announced Wednesday that Routes 94 and 132 will not be eliminated as part of a plan to make up for lost county funding. There are changes, however, that benefit evening shift workers and Montgomery County Community College students, according to PhillyBurbs.com. According to PhillyBurbs.com, the greatest change on Routes 94 and 132 will be on Sundays, as service will be limited due to low ridership. The Route 94 is to and from Montgomery Mall and Chestnut Hill, with stops at Montgomery County Community College and Ambler. Route 132 is the route for Telford, Montgomery Mall and Lansdale. Changes go into effect Feb. 17, 2013. Here are the proposed changes, which have yet to …

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Who You're Paying For

A look at the consultant fees approved by township supervisors this month

At the Jan. 3 reorganization meeting, Montgomery Township supervisors passed its fee schedule for 2012. Included in that fee schedule were approved payments for township consultants, less any mileage reimbursements. This year, the township gained a new engineer in Gilmore & Associates, Inc. They replaced retiring engineer John O. Chambers of Chambers Associates. All fees for consultants remained the same for 2012, with the exception of one. The fee for business tax firm McCarthy & Company was increased from $90 an hour to $105 an hour. In a Dec. 1 letter to township manager Larry Gregan, Gary Williams, of McCarthy and Co., thanked the township for its continued use of its services. “Because of the rising costs and the continued need for …

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Innovation Celebration Proposed Economic Answers

More than 60 district employees, residents and students exhibited proposals to increase revenue and decrease costs in the 2012 budget.

When you give North Penn School District residents a chance to help the marred school district budget, you should expect them to jump at the chance. Even if those residents aren’t taxpayers. High school student Nick Haddad had a proposal where the district could save $112,000 a year on printer ink, all by switching to a different font. Another student, Torrey Wente, discovered the district could save $4,400 a year in energy costs by using LED lights in the auditorium. A consortium of school leaders—North Penn High School principal Burt Hynes, Allyn Roche, North Penn High School vice principal Neil Broxterman, John Strobel, district finance director Bob Schoch, athletic director Don Ryan and Bill Bartle—proposed a plan to charge user fees …

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Temporary Snack Stand Approved for Montgomery Township Baseball and Softball Association

The temporary stand will be erected at William F. Maule Park at Windlestrae Park

The Montgomery Township Baseball and Softball Association has hit a homerun with its proposal to erect a temporary snack stand at William F. Maule Park at Windlestrae. Supervisors recently approved unanimously the proposal presented by MTBSA president Rick Calhoun. “The temporary strategy is an effort to raise funds that can be applied toward the future installation of a permanent snack stand structure, due to the significant costs associated with Multi-Prime and Prevailing Wage to erect such a facility,” Calhoun told supervisors. He said there would be no cost to the township at all. “We just want your permission,” said Calhoun to supervisors. “We will make sure it’s not an eyesore. The goal is temporary, and one day we hope to raise …

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Get Real

Mortgage Costs Inch Their Way Up

Gina Wherry, realtor and member of the Scott Loper Team at RE/MAX Realty Group, Harleysville, informs potential homeowners about new costs hitting mortgage loans.

Spring is upon us! And for some in the Lansdale area, this means the start of finding and buying a new home. If you’re just beginning to search for a home, you need to know about a new cost that affects everyone applying for a conventional mortgage loan.  The government-sponsored enterprises Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are increasing the cost of a loan to offset the risk of lending to borrowers with lower credit scores.  These increases are called lower level pricing adjustments (LLPA) and adverse market delivery charges (AMDC). This is not entirely new.  LLPAs and AMDCs previously existed for people with a credit score below 700 and then 720, and eventually moved to 740.  Now, no matter what your credit score is, some percentage of a point…

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News from Lansdale Borough

Sewer Rates in Lansdale Expected to Remain Steady

A completed sewer rate analysis recommends no increase in 2011, but the borough will have to boost rates as soon as 2012.

Lansdale Borough sewer rates are in good shape, and there’s no need for an increase in 2011, according to a recent completed sewer rate analysis presented to the administration and finance committee and public works committee Wednesday night. However, those rates—which include both service charges and usage fees—will need to increase at some point over the next five years. It could be as soon as 2012 and could be as much as 18 percent. Dave Busch, of Keystone Alliance Consulting in Ambler, told council that rates are in good shape at the moment, and the borough can make it through the year without any issues. The goal of the study, he said, was to calculate what the rates would need to be each year during the next five years. The analysis …

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