Agenda

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City Council Regular Meeting

Meeting Date:

03/23/2021

BACKGROUND

On August 27, 2019, City Council approved the Schertz EMS Charity Care Policy. Approving the Charity Care Policy benefits our citizens who do not have insurance and do not have the ability to pay for ambulance services. In the past, these accounts were sent to collections and written off throughout year with little expectation to recover any revenue.

GOAL

The City has been participating in the Texas Ambulance Services Supplemental Payment Program (TASPP) since 2015. This program reimbursed the City for losses incurred when providing services to patients who have Medicaid and to the uninsured. Beginning on October 1, 2019, this program moved away from reimbursing uninsured and Medicaid patients and is now only reimbursing based on charity care. The City has applied for reimbursement for a portion of these charity care adjustments.

COMMUNITY BENEFIT

Our charity care policy benefits those who cannot afford ambulance services. Having a Charity Care Policy is a requirement of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) which allows the City to apply for reimbursement for a portion of those funds that are written off.

SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDED ACTION

Consideration and/or action approving a Resolution by the City Council authorizing EMS charity care adjustments.

FISCAL IMPACT

670 accounts for a total of $926,665.48 will be written off based on the EMS Charity Care Policy. It is estimated that EMS will be eligible for reimbursements up to $200,000 in FY21 for all accounts adjusted. These accounts were from August 2019 through July 2020.

RECOMMENDATION

Staff recommends City Council approve Resolution 21-R-17

Attachments
Schertz EMS Billing Policy
Resolution 21-R-17