City considers billing options for ambulance service
NORWICH – With increased responsibility placed on the Norwich Fire Department due to Superior Ambulance cutting back its service in the area, the department could soon be changing its billing practices to make runs more economically feasible.
Police and acting Fire Chief Joseph Angelino told the finance and personnel committee Tuesday that he had been evaluating the ambulance billing system for some time. “We’re always looking for ways to be more efficient and better,” he told the committee. “We have an open period to negotiate with Blue Cross Blue Shield.”
MultiMed, the company the city contracts for ambulance billing, will come to the meeting at the request of the city, but the municipality must first set up the negotiations, he said.
Although the city’s policy has always been soft billing for ambulance services, Angelino told the committee they could use the opportunity to discuss the possibility of hard billing for calls outside of the department’s service area.
The soft billing policy gives individuals more options when it comes to paying their bills. “The objective is to not cause an individual financial hardship,” City Finance Director Bill Roberts later explained. “If a balance is due that the insurance is not paying, then MultiMed has been instructed to work out smaller payments or do whatever would work so it doesn’t cause a hardship.”
Hard billing would be more like the typical business model. If a bill were to remain unpaid, the debt would be sent to a collection agency.
“MultiMed is the key to that,” said Roberts. “They’ll know what we can and cannot legally do.” Roberts explained that billing different groups of people or areas in different ways might pose a legal problem. No decision has yet been made, but city officials will continue to examine the issue and look for different solutions.
Sixth Ward Alderman Robert Jeffrey said he agreed with Angelino’s suggestion. He asked if there had been any discussion between city and Chenango County officials about the ambulance shortage.
“I had a long discussion with Matt Beckwith (county fire coordinator) and other officials. It was a long topic of discussion and a lot of things were going around, but basically the days of volunteerism are over,” Angelino said.
The committee moved the topic for discussion by the full city council.
e-mail: jlewis@evesun.com
Police and acting Fire Chief Joseph Angelino told the finance and personnel committee Tuesday that he had been evaluating the ambulance billing system for some time. “We’re always looking for ways to be more efficient and better,” he told the committee. “We have an open period to negotiate with Blue Cross Blue Shield.”
MultiMed, the company the city contracts for ambulance billing, will come to the meeting at the request of the city, but the municipality must first set up the negotiations, he said.
Although the city’s policy has always been soft billing for ambulance services, Angelino told the committee they could use the opportunity to discuss the possibility of hard billing for calls outside of the department’s service area.
The soft billing policy gives individuals more options when it comes to paying their bills. “The objective is to not cause an individual financial hardship,” City Finance Director Bill Roberts later explained. “If a balance is due that the insurance is not paying, then MultiMed has been instructed to work out smaller payments or do whatever would work so it doesn’t cause a hardship.”
Hard billing would be more like the typical business model. If a bill were to remain unpaid, the debt would be sent to a collection agency.
“MultiMed is the key to that,” said Roberts. “They’ll know what we can and cannot legally do.” Roberts explained that billing different groups of people or areas in different ways might pose a legal problem. No decision has yet been made, but city officials will continue to examine the issue and look for different solutions.
Sixth Ward Alderman Robert Jeffrey said he agreed with Angelino’s suggestion. He asked if there had been any discussion between city and Chenango County officials about the ambulance shortage.
“I had a long discussion with Matt Beckwith (county fire coordinator) and other officials. It was a long topic of discussion and a lot of things were going around, but basically the days of volunteerism are over,” Angelino said.
The committee moved the topic for discussion by the full city council.
e-mail: jlewis@evesun.com
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