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Resolution 2000-167 .--..- 8G 2 RESOLUTION NO. 2000-167 RESOLUTION APPROVING USER FEES FOR COLLIER COUNTY AMBULANCE SERVICES PURSUANT TO COLLIER COUNTY ORDINANCE NO. 96-36; ADOPTING BILLING AND COLLECTION PROCEDURE; PROVIDING ADJUSTMENTS AND WAIVERS; APPROVING HARDSHIP CASES AND PAYMENT PLANS; SUPERSEDING RESOLUTION NO. 98-419; PROVIDING FOR AN EFFEGIVE DATE. WHEREAS, Collier County Emergency Medical Services (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "EMS") provides ambulance services to the residents and visitors of Collier County; and WHEREAS, the Collier County EMS operating budget is funded exclusively through ad valorem taxes and user fees; and WHEREAS, Collier County staff analysis of the cost for ambulance services requires an adjustment to the user fees to properly identify current costs of services to the residents and visitors of Collier County; and WHEREAS, Collier County Ordinance No. 96-36 provides that the user fees for ambulance services may be established by Resolution of the Board of County Commissioners (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "the Board"). NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF COLLIER COUNTY, FLORIDA that: SEGION ONE: EMS USER FEES USER FEE A. EMS AMBULANCE TRANSPORT BASE RATE B. EMS AMBULANCE, IN COUNTY, INTERFAClLlTY TRANSPORT BASE RATE CHARGE $300 CURRENT MEDICARE INFLATION INDEX CHARGE (IIQ C. EMS AMBULANCE TRANSPORT PER MILE - IN COUNTY TRANSPORTS CAPPED AT 7 MILES - ACTUAL MILEAGE FOR OUT OF COUNTY INTERFAClLlTY TRANSPORTS $5 D. SPECIAL EVENTS: - TWO (2) MEDICS/ONE VEHICLE (PER HOUR) - ONE (1) MEDIGNO VEHICLE (PER HOUR) E. COPIES OF DOCUMENTS/PER PAGE (EXCLUDING GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES) $75 $40 $1 F. INTEREST ON PAST DUE ACCOUNTS 1% SEGION TWO: BILLING AND COLLEGION PROCEDURE The following shall be the minimum guidelines for billing and collection procedures for ambulance service fees and charges: A. Initial fees and charges for ambulance service(s) shall be assessed either prior to or following the service provision, as services dynamics reasonably permit. Unpaid fees and charges, subsequent to time of service, shall be reflected in an accounts receivable subsidiary ledger system to be maintained by the Revenue Services Department. 8G 2 B. An initial bill for ambulance services shall be processed in the following manner within thirty (30) days after service is provided. 1. The County will send an initial bill to the service recipient's or responsible party's insurance carrier provided that appropriate insurance information is made available to the Revenue Services Department. The Revenue Services Department will accept Medicare assignment, as a participating provider, and will wait no less than 45 days for payment if Medicare or other insurance carrier is billed. If the claim is denied, a bill will be sent to the service recipient or responsible party. 2. The County will also send a bill to Medicaid and accept assignment jf appropriate insurance information is made available to the Revenue Services Department by the service recipient or responsible party. The Revenue Services Department will wait no less than 60 days for payment jf Medicaid is billed. If the claim is denied, a bill will be sent to the service recipient or responsible party. 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 Revenue Services Department will wait no less than 30 days for payment. The following will occur if payment has not been received within above set guidelines: a. 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 after billing responsible party or service recipient). b. Thirty (30) days after the first past due notice is sent, a second past due notice will be sent. c. After 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 either sent to the County's contracted collection agency or set up for a payment plan (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 8.3 above. E. When ambulance service bill(s) at any stage in this billing and collection procedure, are returned because the Postal Service cannot effectuate 2 8G 2 delivery, the Revenue Services Department shall make a reasonable effort to ascertain the correct mailing address. If reasonable efforts to ascertain correct address fail, the account(s) may be considered for other collection alternatives. F. Nothing contained in this section shall preclude reasonable telephone or other appropriate contact for billing and collection purposes, in accordance with all applicable laws. G. Throughout the fiscal year, the Revenue Services Department shall review all past due accounts and report to the Board of County Commissioners on an annual basis, of all past due accounts which are believed to be uncollectible. The Board shall, after reviewing these past due accounts and after finding that diligent efforts at collection have proven unsuccessful, remove these past due accounts from active accounts receivable in accordance with generally accepted accounting procedures and pursuant to law by Resolution. SECTION THREE: ADJUSTMENT OF EMS USER FEES The following shall be minimum guidelines for adjustments to ambulance service fees. Other adjustments are authorized by the Board of County Commissioners in accordance with criteria established by the enabling Ordinance. A. Medicare and Medicaid Adiustments Contractual adjustments under Medicare assignment will be made in accordance with applicable rules and regulations. B. Victim's Compensation Contractual Adiustments Contractual adjustments will be made in accordance with applicable rules and regulations. SECTION FOUR: WAIVER OF EMS USER FEE Pursuant to Ordinance No. 96-36, and from the effective date of this Resolution, user fees for EMS ambulance stand-by services for the following community special events shall be waived as the Board finds that a valid public purpose is hereby established in recognition of their charitable contributions to the Community: (1) Collier County Fair; (2) Everglades Seafood Festival; (3) Senior PGA; and (4) Nuveen Masters; (5) Collier County Public School varsity football games. Fees for other community special events may be waived in accordance with criteria established by the enabling Ordinance. SECTION FIVE: HARDSHIP CASES AND PAYMENT PLANS The Board recognizes that certain service recipients may need to be identified and processed as hardship cases. Payment plans will be established pursuant to the minimum guidelines set forth in this Resolution. A. Hardship cases will be established in accordance with the State's Financial hardship guidelines, as used by HRS-Collier County. B. Payment plans for hardship cases will be set up on a monthly basis, with a minimum payment of $10.00 per month. Hardship cases, placed on a payment plan will 3 BG 2 not accrue interest or be placed into collection. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a service recipient has a payment plan and does not make the scheduled payments for a period longer than two (2) months, the account will be turned over to the County's contracted collection agency and interest will begin to accrue. SECTION SIX: OF RESOLUTION 98-419 SUPERSEDED. This Resolution shall supersede Resolution No. 98-419. SEGION SEVEN: EFFEGIVE DATE This Resolution shall become effective on May 23, 2000. PASSED AND DULY ADOPTED by the Board of County Commissioners of Collier County, Florida, this d 3.. day of ~ ,2000. ATTEST: DWIGHTE. BROCK, CLERK BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF COLLIER C IDA . ~~/:' .. . ':B'!:'~::~~.~&- be... , '", "., .. . . .' '- :' ./ '. 'r, '~~~...s.,to .Q..,...... s '.~; .9r1atu!"on 1y. .: . ", Approved as to 'fCi~m and ~ .' ,) : . .' regal..~!-1ffic;:.iency: BY: liMO ~~ Ramjro Manalich, Chief Assistant County Attorney /Il~4.:-0 4