For City Council Meeting [June 12, 2018]
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
APPROVAL: Robb R. Steel, Interim City Administrator
FROM: Sean Grayson, Fire Chief
Title
Request City Council to Approve a One (1) Year Contract with Wittman Enterprises LLC for Ambulance Billing and related Professional Services in the amount not to exceed $100,000 per year and Authorize Issuance of a Purchase Order in the amount of $50,000 for Fiscal Year 2017-2018 and $100,000 Fiscal Year 2018-19.
(ACTION)
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BACKGROUND:
In April of 2018, the Fire Department received a letter from its current ambulance billing provider, the Novato Fire Protection District, indicating they would be discontinuing ambulance billing services effective July 1, 2018. To maintain timely billing for ambulance services, the Fire Department sought vendors that could provide required ambulance billing services and accomplish a transition of services under the provided deadline. Wittman Enterprises LLC can assume ambulance billing services for the City prior to the service deadline from the Novato Fire Protection District. These services can be provided under a one-year contract during which time the City will place Ambulance Billing services out to bid in order to issue a long-term contract that is most financially advantageous to the City.
ANALYSIS/DISCUSSION:
Billing for Emergency Medical Services (EMS) including ambulance transportation is a specialized field requiring complex methodology and integration with federal, state and local regulatory bodies. While the Fire Department compiles reports to ensure they are ready for billing, it is less expensive to contract the actual billing and collection services to a third party than to provide the services with Fire Department staff.
In 2016, the Fire Department conducted an assessment of the current and future needs for EMS billing and collection services. Billing and collection history and methodologies, electronic data collection and repor...
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