Resolution 2002-429
108
... ,41
; )~~
1
2
3
4 RESOLUTION NO. 02-429
S
6
7 RESOLUTION APPROVING USER FEES FOR COLLIER
8 COUNTY AMBULANCE SERVICES PURSUANT TO COLLIER
9 COUNTY ORDINANCE NO. 96 - 36; ADOPTING BILLING AND
10 COLLECTION PROCEDURE; PROVIDING ADJUSTMENTS AND
11 WAIVERS; AND APPROVING HARDSHIP CASES AND
12 PAYMENT PLANS
13
14
15
16 WHEREAS, Collier County Emergency Medical Services (hereinafter sometimes
17 referred to as "EMS") provides ambulance services to the residents and visitors of Collier
18 County; and
19 WHEREAS, the Collier County EMS operating budget is funded exclusively
20 through ad valorem taxes and user fees; and
21 WHEREAS, Collier County staff analysis of the cost for ambulance services
22 requires an adjustment to the user fees to properly identify current costs of services to
23 the residents and visitors of Collier County; and
24 WHEREAS, Collier County Ordinance 96 - 36 provides that the user fees for
25 ambulance services may be established by Resolution of the Board of County
26 Commissioners (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "the Board").
27 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY
28 COMMISSIONERS OF COLLIER COUNTY, FLORIDA THAT:
29
30 SECTION ONE: EMS USER FEES
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
BASE RATES
SERVICE LEVELS
CODES
BASE CHARGE
$ 300.00
$ 325.00
$ 350.00
$ 400.00
$ 550.00
$ 650.00
$ 3,407.00
A. EMS - BLS NON-EMERGENCY
B. EMS - BLS EMERGENCY
C. EMS - ALS 1 NON-EMERGENCY
D. EMS - ALS 1 EMERGENCY
E. EMS - ALS 2 EMERGENCY
F. EMS - SPECIALTY CARE
G. EMS - HELICOPTER
F. EMS - HELICOPTER
LOGISTICAL
A0428
A0429
A0426
A0427
A0433
A0434
A0431
A0431
$ 650.00
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
lOB
""1
':1
2
3 MILEAGE RATES
SERVICE LEVELS
CODES
MILEAGE CHARGE
A. EMS - IN COUNTY GROUND UNIT
(MINIMUM OF 1 MILE - CAP OF 10 MILES)
B. EMS - OUT OF COUNTY GROUND UNIT
(MINIMUM OF 1 MILE WITH NO CAP)
C. EMS - IN COUNTY AIR UNIT
(MINIMUM OF 1 MILE - CAP OF 10 MILES)
D. EMS - OUT OF COUNTY AIR UNIT
(MINIMUM OF 1 MILE WITH NO CAP)
$ 7.00
$ 7.00
$ 49.00
$ 49.00
SPECIAL EVENTS AND MISCELANEOUS RATES
SERVICE LEVELS
RATES
- TWO (2) MEDICS/ONE ALS VEHICLE (PER HOUR)
$
$
$
1.00
150.00
- ONE (1) MEDIC/NO VEHICLE
(PER HOUR)
50.00
COPIES OF DOCUMENTS/PER PAGE
(EXCLUDING GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES)
INTEREST ON PAST DUE ACCOUNTS
1%
32 SECTION TWO: BILLING AND COLLECTION PROCEDURE
33 The following shall be the minimum guidelines for billing and collection
34 procedures for ambulance service fees and charges:
35 A. Initial fees and charges for ambulance service(s) shall be assessed either
36 prior to or following the service provision, as service dynamics reasonably permit.
37 Unpaid fees and charges, subsequent to time of service, shall be reflected in an
38 accounts receivable subsidiary ledger system to be maintained by the EMS Department.
39 B. An initial bill for ambulance services shall be processed in the following
40 manner within thirty (30) days after service is provided.
41 1. The County will send an initial bill to the service recipient's or
42 responsible party's insurance carrier provided that appropriate
43 insurance information is made available to the EMS Billing Section.
44 The EMS Billing Section will accept Medicare assignment, as a
45 participating provider. and will wait no less than 45 days for payment if
47 a bill will be sent to the service recipient or responsible party.
46 Medicare or other insurance carrier's are billed. If the claim is denied,
2
108
"j
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
2. The County will also send a bill to Medicaid and accept assignment if
appropriate insurance information is made available to the EMS Billing
Section by the service recipient or responsible party. The EMS Billing
Section will wait no less than 60 days for payment if Medicaid is billed.
If the claim is denied because of no coverage at time of service, a bill
will sent to the service recipient or responsible party. If Medicaid
denies because they felt it was not medically necessary to be
transported by ambulance, then the account will be adjusted off per
the rules and regulations of Medicaid.
3. In the event the service recipient or responsible party does not have
or does not provide proof of insurance coverage, the bill for
ambulance service(s) shall be sent directly to the service recipient or
responsible party for payment. The EMS Billing Section will wait no
less than 30 days for payment.
The following will occur if payment has not been received within above
set guidelines:
1 . A past due notice will be sent in accordance with the
above provisions (45 days after billing third party or
Medicare, 60 days after billing Medicaid and 30 days alter
billing responsible party or service recipient).
2. Thirty (30) days) after the first past due notice is sent, a
second past due notice will be sent.
3. Alter a ten (10) day grace period, the account will be sent
to the County's contracted collection agency.
C. Interest will be assessed at 1 % per month on all accounts that are
sent to the County's contracted collection agency. (excluding
hardships that adhere to County policy).
D. A reasonable and customary payment plan will be made available for
all service recipients or responsible parties. Should the service
recipient or responsible party at any time fail to meet the terms and
conditions of the payment plan, the unpaid balance shall be
administered in accordance with Section 6.3 above.
E. When ambulance service bill(s), at any stage in this billing and
collection procedure, are returned because the Postal Service cannot
3
lOB
effectuate delivery, the EMS Billing Section shall make a reasonable
2
effort to ascertain the correct mailing address. If reasonable efforts
3
to ascertain a correct address fail, the account(s) may be considered
4
for other collection alternatives.
5
F. Nothing contained in this section shall preclude reasonable
6
telephone or other appropriate contact for billing and collection
7
purposes, in accordance with all applicable laws.
8
G. Throughout the fiscal year, the EMS Billing Section shall review all
9
past due accounts and report to the Board of County Commissioners
10
on an annual basis, of all past due accounts which are believed to be
11
uncollectible.
12
The Board shall, after reviewing these past due accounts and after
13
finding that diligent efforts at collection have proven unsuccessful,
14
remove these past due accounts from active accounts receivable in
15
accordance with generally accepted accounting procedures and
16
pursuant to law by Resolution.
17
18 SECTION THREE: ADJUSTMENT OF EMS USER FEES
19 The following shall be minimum guidelines for adjustments to ambulance service
20 fees. The Board of County Commissioners in accordance with criteria established by
21 the enabling Ordinance may authorize other adjustments.
22 A. Medicare and Medicaid Adiustments
23 Contractual adjustments under Medicare and/or Medicaid assignment will be made in
24 accordance with applicable rules and regulations.
25 B. Victim's Compensation Contractual Adiustments
26 Contractual adjustments will be made in accordance with applicable rules and
27 regulations.
28 C. Worker's Compensation Contractual Adiustments
29 Contractual adjustments will be made in accordance with applicable rules and
30 regulations.
31 D. County Emplovee Adiustments
32 Board of County Commissioners and Constitutional Officers' employees that have
33
34 Primary coverage under Collier County's insurance policy will receive an adjustment in
35
36 accordance with applicable rules and regulations of Ordinance 96-36.
4
....~
lOB
~ .
:1j
2 E. ChamousfTricare Adiustments
3 Contractual adjustments will be made in accordance with applicable rules and
4
5 regulations.
6
7 F. Railroad Retirement Adiustments
8 Contractual adjustments will be made in accordance with applicable rules and
9
10 regulations.
11
12 G. Social Services Adiustments
13 Contractual adjustments will be made in accordance with rules established by the
14
15 County Manager and memorialized by a memorandum of understanding executed by the
16
17 Social Services Director and the EMS Operations Director.
18
19
20 SECTION FOUR: WAIVER OF EMS USER FEE
21 Pursuant to Ordinance No. 96 - 36, and from the effective date of this Resolution,
22 user fees for EMS ambulance stand-by services for the following community special
23 events shall be waived as the Board finds that a valid public purpose is hereby
24 established in recognition of their charitable contributions to the Community: (1) Collier
25 County Fair; (2) Everglades Seafood Festival; (3) Collier County Public High School
26 varsity football games. Fees for other community special events may be waived in
27 accordance with criteria established by the enabling Ordinance.
28
29 SECTION FIVE: HARDSHIP CASES AND PAYMENT PLANS
30 The Board recognizes that certain service recipients may need to be identified
31 and processed as hardship cases. Payment plans will be established pursuant to the
32 minimum guidelines set forth in this Resolution.
33 A. Hardship cases will be established in accordance with the Federal Poverty
34 guidelines, as used by the Social Services Department of Collier County.
35 B. Payment plans for hardship cases will be set up on a monthly basis, with a
36 minimum payment of $10.00 per month. Hardship cases, placed on a payment plan will
37 not accrue interest or be placed into collection. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a
38 service recipient has a payment plan and does not make the agreed scheduled
39 payments for a period longer than two (2) months, the account will be tumed over to the
40 County's contracted collection agency and interest will begin to accrue.
41
42
5
108,1
SECTION SIX: SUPERSESSION OF RESOLUTION 2001-410
2 This Resolution shall supersede Resolution No. 2001-410
3
4 SECTION SEVEN: ADOPTION AND EFFECTIVE DATE
5
6
This Resolution shall become effective on October
,2002.
7
PASSED AND DULY ADOPTED by the Board of County Commissioners of
Collier County, Florida, this sa day Of([)~ ,2002.
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
~,i:J'J ~ ~ ~ : ,~':)
c,;;> .:. . (;'.,
("
l"":
~., .
::-.)
Ams+~ !-~'~-'
DWI?HT E.'~,~~K:.CLERK
BY: "~4;;~# '..J~
, , .'
BY:
Jame . Coletta, Chairman
Attest as to Chairun's
signature Olll_
Approved as to form and
legal sufficiency:
c eline Hubbard Robinson
ssistant County Attorney
6