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HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-27-16 Health and Public SafetyOFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK KAREEMAH FOWLER, CITY CLERK HEALTH & PUBLIC SAFETY JUNE 27, 2016 5:55 P.M. Committee Members Present: John Voorde, Oliver Davis, Karen L. White, Jo M. Broden Other Council Present: Tim Scott, Dr. David Varner, Regina Williams- Preston Others Present: Alkeyna Aldridge, Joseph Molnar, Kathleen Cekanski- Farrand, Adriana Rodriguez Agenda: Bill No. 30 -16 — Addressing Ambulance /Medical Service Fees Committee Chair John Voorde called the meeting to order with one (1) item on the agenda. Bill No. 30 -16 — Addressing Ambulance/Medical Service Fees Steven Cox, Fire Department Chief with offices at 1222 South Michigan Street South Bend, spoke as the petitioner of this bill. The South Bend Fire Department by municipal code is required to give an annual report recommendation on ambulance user fees. Annually we come back to the Council to explain a handful of items that the Council has requested regarding call volume, what we have billed and collected and a recommendation based on those numbers. There are two (2) pieces to this recommendation. The first is the actual fee increase for this year which is based on the Medicare fee schedule that is released annually in April. Medicare provides reimbursement for individuals that are covered. The Fire Department bases their fee schedule off of the fee schedule that is allowed for reimbursement through Medicare. Annually, Medicare looks at the reasonable customary charges for reimbursement associated with ambulances in each state. Each state has a different fee schedule. In 2002 our department modified our fee schedule and modeled off the Medicare schedule for reimbursement. As we have moved forward, the recommendations we have provided have been in conjunction with those fee schedule changes annually. Typically if you go back and look at the resident rates and proposed resident rates you will see an increase annually for each of those levels of service of about one (1) or two (2) dollars per charge. That is because Medicare increases incrementally in very small numbers annually. The issue with not doing this annually is that we are leaving Federal money on the table. If we are not billing to the level they are raising each year, basically that small increase is lost unless we have it in the fee schedule which the Council is required to set. Each year since 2011 we have been asking for those increases. The 455 County -City Building • 227 W. Jefferson Boulevard • South Bend, Indiana 46601 Phone 574- 235 -9221 • Fax 574- 235 -9173 • TDD 574- 235 -5567 www.SouthBendIN.gov JENNIFER M. COFFMAN ALKEYNA M. ALDRIDGE EMILY SEXTON CHIEF DEPUTY/ CHIEF OF STAFF DEPUTY/ DIRECTOR OF POLICY ORDINANCE VIOLATION CLERK Council has voted unanimously each year since then to approve the rates. In addition to the recommendation we have added language that has fixed where if we go from April when the rates are set by Medicare to June Pt when the report is given to Council, we miss out on those rates from April to June. That is a two (2) to three (3) month gap where we are missing federal funds. This puts language into the ordinance where the Medicare fee schedule comes out in April, we have the ability to raise that schedule in accordance with the percentage increase associated with the Medicare fee schedule and then when we come in June to present the recommendation, Council will still have oversight over the proposal but in the meantime we wouldn't be missing out from those increased rates. Committeemember Oliver Davis asked isn't that what we already have been doing. Chief Cox responded no and we have been doing it coming in every year. Typically the way the ordinance has been set up, we reported the recommendations in June. We have to do it at that time to be able to report on an entire calendar year. There is still a gap in time from when the report comes and the rate changes from Medicare that we are trying to come up with a way to make sure we are taking advantage of those rates. No one from the public spoke either in favor of or in opposition to the bill. Committeemember Oliver Davis made a motion to send Bill 30 -16 to the full Council with a favorable recommendation. Committeemember Jo M. Broden seconded the motion which carried by voice vote of four (4) ayes'. With no further business before the Committee, Committee Chair John Voorde adjourned the meeting at 6:06 p.m. Respectfully bmitte , John Voorde, Chairperson 2