SHALER TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A couple is accused of pocketing more than $30,000 of insurance money meant to pay for ambulance rides, for a second time.
The same couple was charged with the same crime just days ago.
The money Stacie and Wallace Hodge are accused of pocketing at the Shaler Hampton EMS Department totals over $3,000. That’s almost four times the amount they are accused of stealing from Ross/West View EMS.
EMS Chief Eric Schmidt says this is not uncommon for EMS services.
“In 2025, we had 105 cases where people kept the check to the tune of over 150,000 dollars lost to our service,” Schmidt said.
According to police records, several of those cases involve Stacie and Wallace Hodge.
The couple is accused of riding in a Shaler-Hampton ambulance 23 times from February 2025 to February 2026. Highmark Insurance issued the couple a check to pay for each ride, but police say those payments were never made to the EMS department.
“They are the only insurer in southwestern Pennsylvania that does that,” Schmidt said.
According to Chief Schmidt, an EMS department must be contracted with Highmark to receive direct payments.
“If you sign a contract with Highmark to perform a service at a much, much lower rate, much less than our cost of doing business, then they’ll pay you directly,” Schmidt said.
He says that of the 23 EMS departments in Allegheny County, none of them are contracted.
According to police, Stacie Hodge said they used the pocketed money for bills and other purchases, referring to her expensive car payment. They are now charged with theft and criminal conspiracy.
Chief Schmidt said in order to avoid cases like the Hodges, there is now pending bipartisan legislation at the state level, known as House Bill 1152, that would require insurers to pay EMS agencies directly.
If that bill passes, insurers like Highmark would have to make that direct payment within 45 days of service.
Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
©2026 Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/XCUXZC2XYZHCRGNNGKFEX6U3LQ.png)
