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Home My WebLink About10204-12 Amending Chapter 9 Article 3 Addressing Ambulance Medical User Fees and Dedicated Fund ORDINANCE No . 10204-12 Passed by the Common Council of the City of South Bend,Indiana November 26, 20 12 Attest: at- . . ,+0,4+ City Clerk J' )tI_ N iOORDE f Attest: . ; A Ak.,J__ ��J _ President of Common Council Presented by me to the Mayor of the City of South Bend, Indiana November 27, 20 12 a' Z j[�.'`..__.J Ci ty Clerk J! IN VMORDE Approved and signed by me Noll f,(S 11- Z 9 20 P2- Mayor Ordinance No. I 0 2-0'4 Substitute Bill No. 62-12 AN ORDINANCE OF THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, AMENDING CHAPTER 9, ARTICLE 3 OF THE SOUTH BEND MUNICIPAL CODE ADDRESSING AMBULANCE/MEDICAL USER FEES AND DEDICATED FUND STATEMENT OF PURPOSE AND INTENT With the passage of Ordinance No. 6897-81, each year the South Bend Fire Department is required to prepare and file a report on or before September 1st of each year which summarizes all of the ambulance/medical services runs as of August 15th of that year. The report identifies the number and type of each run; the amount billed; the amount collected; the amount in collections; the number of lawsuits filed; and recommendations with regard to fee amounts. The provisions of Ordinance No. 6897-81 have been codified into the South Bend Municipal Code as Sections 9-16 through 9-18. On August 27, 2012, Fire Chief Stephen F. Cox filed the 2012 South Bend Fire Department's Annual Report pursuant to these City Code provisions. The following ordinance incorporates the recommendations set forth in this year's Annual Report. It is believed that the requested changes are in the best interests of the South Bend Fire Department and the City of South Bend. The requested fee adjustments will help maintain the best possible ambulance and medical service runs possible in the City. /erOor, 6e ii ac/airted the Vomvrr of c&ortnei Otte Vitt', �iit%a J iu zdcoitco, 66ja1/tvo: Section I. Chapter 9, Article 3, Section 9-16, paragraphs (a) and (i) of the South Bend Municipal Code is amended to read in its entirety as follows: Sec. 9-16. Ambulance/Medical User Fees Established. (a) The following user fee schedule shall be charged for all ambulance/medical services provided by the City through its paramedic branch of the South Bend Fire Department: Type of Service Provided Resident Non-Resident 1 Basic Life Support (BLS Non-Emergency) $310.46 $ 414.17 2 Basic Life Support (BLS Emergency) $496.73 $ 662.67 3 Advanced Life Support (ALS Non-Emergency) $372.54 $ 497.00 4 Advanced Life Support (ALS-1 Emergency) $589.86 $ 786.92 5 Advanced Life Support (ALS-2 Emergency) $853.74 $1,138.96 6 Mileage, Basic (Within City Limits) (Per patient miles, $ 10.55 minimum one (1)mile) 7 Mileage,Rural (Per patient miles,minimum one (1)mile) $ 1 0.55 8 Non-Transport ALS Medical Call $150.00 $200.00 (i) The above fees shall take effect on January 1, 2013. Section II. Chapter 9, Article 3, Section 9-17, paragraphs of the South Bend Municipal Code is amended to read in its entirety as follows: Sec. 9-17. Dedication of Ambulance/Medical User Fee Revenues to the EMS/Fire Department Capital Fund#288; Quarterly Transfers; Establishing When Re- Payment of Monies is Required. (a) The revenues generated by the rates set forth in Section 9-16 shall be dedicated to defraying the expenses of the E.M.S. operating budget, a part of the general fund of the City of South Bend and for capital purchases and leases of E.M.S. equipment, firefighting equipment and fire station repairs. All monies collected will be deposited in the EMS/Fire Department Capital, Fund#288. (b) Quarterly transfers in the amount of two hundred and fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) sib two thousand five hundred dollars ($ 62,500) will be made from the EMS/Fire Department Capital Fund # 288 on or about the last day of each quarter of the calendar year. Annual transfers shall not be more than a total of one million dollars in any calendar year. less than two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000.00). - .. . -- - Section III. This ordinance shall be in full force and effect from and after its passage by the Common Council, approval by the Mayor and legal publication. Council Member Dr. Fred Ferlic 4th District Council Member Member of the Common Council Ordinance Establishing Ambulance/Medical User Fees Page 2 Worde, City Clerk W;r4entedby me to Pete Buttigieg, the Mayor of the City of South Bend, Indiana, on the 2,3-kk day of PZ.N)e-m,6il� , 2012, at et ' ( o'clock Q . m. Janic Talboom, Deputy Clerk »ooeI and ofredby me on the 2/ day of Are'1/ 1M6£e , 2012, at if o'clock .m. /� Pete B umgrey g Mayor of the City of South Bend, Indiana Flied in Clerk'$ office READING C®'LL-lL N PUBLIC HEARING a-2. _�z- cf S Allv444A-1 riOV 204012 3 rd READING (,v....O.—IL (LS / JOHN NOT APPROVED CM CLERK,SOUTH BEND,IN RE ERRED PASSED (,L--2,to-1 Z- GLS Are,0, TO THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND: Your Committee of the Whole, to whom was referred: BILL NO. 62-12 A BILL OF THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, AMENDING CHAPTER 9, ARTICLE 3 OF THE SOUTH BEND MUNICIPAL CODE ADDRESSING AMBULANCE/MEDICAL USER FEES AND DEDICATED FUND Respectfully report that they have examined the matter and that in their opinion, this bill is being recommended to the full Council with a favorable recommendation as substituted with a new exhibit A and B. This bill was heard by the Personnel & Finance Committee and the Health & Public Safety Committee. Karen L. White Chairperson, Committee of the Whole '„pyrnr r....„ 4 • ,-. �r/ City of South Bend • ` .\PEAE/j�� - ��i Common Council r • 't R 441 County-City Building • 227W.Jefferson Blvd (574) 235-9321 1855 .,,,? South Bend,Indiana 46601-1830 Fax (574) 235-9173 http://vvww.southbendin.gov Derek D. Dieter President Oliver J. Davis October 15,2012 Vice-President The South Bend Common Council Karen L. White 4th Floor County-City Building Chairperson, Committee South Bend, Indiana 46601 of the Whole Tim Scott Re: Ordinance Adjusting Ambulance and Medical User Fees First District Dear Council Members: Henry Davis, Jr.. Second District On September 4, 2012, South Bend Fire Chief Stephen F. Cox filed a report which Valerie Schey details information on ambulance and medical service runs for the 2012 calendar Third District year. This annual report has been a requirement since 1981, when Ordinance No. 6897-81 was passed by the Common Council and subsequently codified into the Fred Ferlic South Bend Municipal Code as Article 3 in Chapter 9. Fourth District In that Report, Fire Chief Cox highlighted that: David Varner Fifth District • From January 1, 2012 to August 20, 2012, the four (4) city ambulances Oliver J. Davis responded to 8,807 calls for services as detailed below: Sixth District —* Medic 1 had 1,727 calls for service during this period of time Derek D. Dieter -* Medic 2 had 2,619 calls for service during this period of time At Large —* Medic 3 had 2,285 calls for service during this period of time —+ Medic 4 had 2,176 calls for service during this period of time Gavin Ferlic At Large • 227 BLS non-emergency runs for city residents & 13 such runs for non-city Karen L. White residents At Large • 1,160 BLS emergency runs for city residents & 138 such runs for non-city residents • 51 ALS non-emergency runs for city residents & 3 such runs for non-city residents • 1,952 ALS-1 emergency runs for city residents & 227 such runs for non-city residents • 11 ALS-2 emergency runs for city residents & 1 such run for non-city residents • $2,111,363.04 has been billed with $1,487,195.19 collected; and another $61,490.84 in collection. Cover Letter to Proposed Ordinance Adjusting Ambulance and Medical User Fees October 15,2012 Page 2 It is my understanding that the current ambulance/medical user fees being charged by the City were established by a Council ordinance passed in 2008, which became effective January 1, 2009. I am attaching a copy of Chief Cox's August 27, 2012 entire report for reference purposes. It provides a chart on page 3 of the current user fees for residents and non-residents and the proposed user fees recommended for residents and non-residents for comparison purposes. If it my further understanding that the local fees are typically 150% of the allowable reimbursement set by Medicare. Medicare usually adjusts fees on an annual basis. The governing federal regulations are set forth in 42 Code of Federal Regulations, § 414.601 - § 414.625 Subpart H entitled "Fee Schedule for Ambulance Services". I am attaching a copy of those regulations promulgated for Medicare & Medicaid Services, along with a November 2011 brochure entitled "Ambulance Fee Schedule" published by the Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare 7 Medicaid Services, for additional background information. Section 9-18 (b) of the South Bend Municipal Code calls for any proposed user fee adjustments to be reviewed by the Council's Personnel and Finance Committee and/or the Health and Public Safety Committee. Council Member White has agreed to have the attached Bill heard in a joint committee meeting. The standard of review as set forth in this same section is to determine what are "fair and equitable user fees". The annual report of the Fire Chief to the Common Council provides an opportunity for the sharing of key information about BLS and ALS service runs and related information. With this detailed information, the Common Council may then carefully weigh the proposed fee adjustments in light of local economic concerns and data, balanced with the costs for providing such ALS and BLS medical services needed to properly cover personnel and medical supply expenses. Additionally, the attached ordinance also provides an opportunity to discuss the concept of quarterly transferring $ 62,500 from the EMS/Fire Department Capital Fund#288 for a total of$250,000.00 annually. I recommend that the attached proposed ordinance be referred to the Personnel and Finance Committee and the Health and Public Safety Committee for a joint review, with 2nd & 3rd readings and public hearing to be set for November 12th. Any fee adjustments would not take place until January 1, 2013. Thank you. Sincerelyt—erlic, Filed In Clerks mice Dr. Fred Chairperson Health and Public Safety Committee OCT � oiz Attachments JOHN VOORDE CITY CLERK,SOUTH BEND,IN