Title
Chief Administrative Office and Health and Human Services Agency recommending the Board consider the following:
1) Approve, in concept, the transfer of the ambulance billing function from the Health and Human Services Agency to the Chief Administrative Office; and
2) Authorize the Chief Administrative Officer, or designee, to negotiate a new contract for ambulance billing services with Wittman Enterprises.
FUNDING: Ambulance Service Fees.
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DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
The Emergency Medical Services and Emergency Preparedness & Response (EMS-EP) programs were transferred from HHSA to the CAO effective July 1, 2019. The Ambulance Billing function, which was separate from the program functions, remained with HHSA in the Administration and Finance Division.
With the transition of EMS-EP to the CAO’s office, the Manager of EMS-EP evaluated the appropriate organizational placement of the Ambulance Billing Function. The Manager has analyzed the work that her staff does in support of the billing function and the support that HHSA's Administration and Finance Division provides to the billing function. In addition, she has met with the current billing vendor, Intermedix, and has interviewed other billing vendors. The recommendation is to transfer the Ambulance Billing Function to the Chief Administrative Office and to transition from the current billing vendor to Wittman Enterprises. Both HHSA and CAO staff agree that it would be more efficient if the fiscal and programmatic support for ambulance billing is centralized. This allows for close coordination between the biller, staff, and the medics in the field who are completing the documentation required for billing.
Wittman Enterprises was the County's billing vendor until 2016, when a Request for Proposals was awarded to Intermedix. The resulting three-year contract expired June 30, 2019. The Board approved a one-year extension to provide time to review the services and make a recommendation for a successor ag...
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