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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1980 06-25 Council reluctantly forgives unpaid bills THE REVIEW VOLUME 19,NUMBER 7 Publication#328680 ieee//eMaplewood, Minnesota Si ms ngle Copy 30' WED.,JUNE 25, 1980 Council reluctant) forgives un aid bills Yp The Maplewood city council members let it be service charges that were turned over to Con- getting damn sick and tired of this,"he stated. unit in St.Paul.It was these uncollectible bills that who paid their bills but not the$3 court fee and then known at their June 19 meeting that they are ciliation Court.After court action,a balance of Councilman Earl Nelson told the other council seemed to especially distress the council members. turn the remainder of the uncollectible bills over to unhappy with forgiving $4,236 in uncollectible $4,236 was left unpaid. members that he thought the collection rate was a collection agency. "This unpaid amount could paramedic bills. In a memorandum to the council,Dan Faust,city "pretty good.I know it's frustrating,but when you Councilman Gary Bastian asked if the council buy a new piece of equipment,"he said. finance director, explained that his office had look at it overall, I don't think we're doing too could list the reasons for the paramedic transports "I have read this thing over(the list of unpaid collected 87 percent of the 1979 paramedic service had." in the newspaper alongwith the persons'names. The finance director told the council that North bills)and I'm tired of seeing the same people not paying their paramedic bills two and three times," Richard Schaller,director of Maplewood public City Attorney Don Lais pointed out that some St.Paul uses a collection agency.Based on the charges. "This represents a significant im- safetydepartment,told Greavu, 'Your honor,I agency's success rate in North St. Paul, he stated Councilman Norman Anderson, people may object to this as an invasion of their provement over the 51 percent collection rate that think 87 percent is a good collection rate." privacy.Medical records are all confidential,Leis estimated Maplewood would at best only receive To emphasize their displeasure in forgiving the the city had in 1975 and 1976 when accounts were explained,and if the council starts listing reasons an additional$400 for its efforts. bills,the councilmen decided to have the names of only billed once,"Faust said. The finance director explained to the council that for taking people to the hospitals,the city could get individuals not paying their paramedic bills The policy of sending second and third billings he had checked with the city of North St.Paul and in trouble. Bastian moved to forgive the bills and have the published in the council minutes in the Review. found out that it is writing off 24.7 percent of its followed by court action was started early in 19T1, individuals and the amounts of their bills included and all unpaid accounts for 1975 and 1976 were uncollectible paramedic bills. "That's twice our Because the collection rate is so low on bills for in the council's minutes,with the exception of those The council decided not to publish the names of Pursued this way. rate,"Faust explained. refusingto paythe conciliation court fees.the persons who paid their bills after being taken totransports to the detoxification unit,in November An- Conciliation Court but who still refused to pay the Despite the improvement in the collection rate, Many of Maplewood's unpaid paramedic bills the city council established a policy of not charging Berson seconded the motion, which carried $3 court fees. Mayor John Greavu joined Anderson in voicing his are for transporting intoxicated individuals to the for these runs in the future. unanimously.Councilwoman Fran Joker was not During 1979 the city had$29,842 in paramedic displeasure with forgiving the unpaid bills."I'm St.Paul-Ramsey Medical Center's detoxification Anderson said he wanted to forgive those persons present at the meeting.