1934.04 - Fees.
(a) The department of public safety shall establish fees for emergency medical services it renders to any person, whether a resident or nonresident of the city. The fee shall reflect the costs of providing services for emergency care and shall include the costs of medical care plus the costs associated with transportation. Such fees, and any revisions to the fees, shall be approved by the director of the department of finance and management.
(b) When the division of fire renders emergency medical services to individuals, it shall inquire whether such individual is covered by any private or public health insurance plan, and, if the resident has coverage, the division shall attempt to make further inquiry to obtain the minimum data required to maintain accurate records and submit bills to the insurance carrier or public health care program, or to the patient's financially responsible party when required by law.
(c) The department of public safety is hereby authorized to enter into a contract with a third party billing agency for the performance of emergency medical services billing and collection services. The department, or the authorized contractor, shall bill for such services within the timeframes established by department policy or by contract with a third party billing agency.
(d) The department of public safety, or the authorized contractor, shall collect from nonresidents of the city, those costs of emergency medical care that are not covered by their insurance carrier or public health care program. Such costs are limited to the insured's co-payment and/or coinsurance amounts as provided in the insured's coverage policy. The city will not balance bill when prohibited by law. In the event that a nonresident is uninsured, the department of public safety, or its designee, shall bill the nonresident for the full cost of services provided. The department may establish a hardship waiver determination policy to consider waiving the out-of-pocket financial obligations of nonresidents demonstrating a bona fide inability to pay. The costs of emergency medical care for a resident of the city that are not covered by private insurance or a public health care program shall be deemed to be paid from the operating revenues received by the city from local taxes and other sources.
(e) The department of public safety, or the authorized contractor, shall make reasonable efforts to collect amounts due from nonresidents of the city for the non-covered costs of care as outlined in subsection (d).
(Ord. 1183-02 § 1 (part); Ord. 1102-05 § 1 (part).)
