HomeMy WebLinkAbout1979 10-17 Uncollectible paramedic bills draw fire from Anderson REVIEW 1 EOSt Av
Minnesota `" 't•- Pa ul , Mn. WED., OCT. 17, 1979
Uncollectibleparamedic
bills
draw fire from Anderson
By MELANIE WAAGE to Maplewood for billing. CHARGES NOT paid 30 days after the
According to the city finance director, third billing are filed in conciliation court.
Cancelling$4,921 worth of uncollectible Dan Faust, these billings of paramedic Approximately 50 percent of the charges
paramedic bills may not he good charges by hospitals caused many filed in court are paid.
business, but the Maplewood council problems and were discontinued in May All collection attempts are discontinued
found it was necessary last month. The 1978. . on paramedic bills unpaid after court
finance department had managed to ALL PARAMEDIC charges are now action. These are what come before the
collect$25,879 of bills throughout the year, billed by city staff using a computerized council for cancellation.
but the remaining portion was deemed billing system. Paramedic charges are Faust said the finance department has
uncollectible. billed three times, 30 days apart. The found discontinuance of hospital billing
COUNCILMAN NORM Anderson second billing includes a notice that ad- arrangements has contributed toward an
brought up the cancellation process at the vice should be sought to find out if the bill improved collection rate.
Oct.4'council meeting because he thought is covered by medicare, welfare In 1976, 81 percent of paramedic bills
maybe they were giving up too easily.' assistance, workers compensation or were collected, and 19 percent were
The paramedic bills relate to incidents health insurance. written off as losses. In 1977, 71 percent
when persons are transported by The third billing includes a final notice were collected and 29 percent had to be
Maplewood paramedics to hospitals. which indicates that "unless the amount written off. Finally,in 1978,84 percent of
Because of state laws protecting in- due is paid immediately, the account will the total bills were collected, and 15
dividuals, paramedics are not to ask if be referred to the city attorney for percent were written off as uncollectible.
persons needing medical assistance are collection."It also says that if payments The total 1978 figure includes $261 in
able to pay their bills before transporting of the charges create an undue personal conciliation court filing fees and$4,660.25
them. So, a number of people are tran- hardship, to contact the finance depart- in actual unpaid bills, equaling$4,921.25.
sported and, once billed, never pay. ment regarding filing an application One hundred thirty-nine claims were
The billing system has been changed requesting cancellation of the charges. filed in conciliation courts and 83 of these
recently.In 1976,billing agreements were Council routinely cancels bills because of were collected. However, 31 individuals
arranged with several hospitals. The hardship. refused to pay the$3 court filing fee but
hospitals would initially bill the charges Last month, councilman Donald did pay their paramedic charge.
and then receive a 10 percent service Wiegert asked that the"hardship"part of COUNCILMAN NORM Anderson said
charge on all amounts collected. Bills not the notice be stricken from the billing he had reviewed the list of unpaid bills
collected after 90 days were then referred since it might only be inviting requests. Continued on page 9
Paramedics . • . From page 1
and was disturbed at some of the names agree with him.He advised the council of
there. He said some of them were people laws requiring the paramedics to tran-
he knew, people who could afford to pay sport someone if they asked for the
their bills, he added. assistance. Otherwise, they could be
"I'm just very uncomfortable in charged with a misdemeanor.
dropping these bills so easily," Anderson
said. "We're not to haul people around ANDERSON SUGGESTED running an
town for free. I think that maybe we unpaid bills' list in the newspaper, using
should look at the history of these bills and names and amounts.This is legal,since it
we might find out some of the runs is public information, but the other
themselves weren't necessary council members didn't seem to think it
"I hate to jeopardize the paramedic was necessary.
program at all,but these runs are costing Council members and staff discussed
the city a lot of money." possibly not charging senior citizens for
ANDERSON MENTIONED an incident paramedic runs thus avoiding some of the
he had witnessed when the paramedics paper work involved with these billings.
were called recently. He said the person Many of the names on the list of can-
injured called for the paramedics him- celled bills are people not from
self. Possibly, that person was well Maplewood and involve mutual aid calls.
enough to find a friend to drive him to the Staff said they would review the
hospital and not rely on the paramedics. collection process again, but felt that the
"It was a case where I don't think the 84 percent collection rate for last year
person was so injured he needed was good, and above average compared
paramedic assistance,"Anderson added. to other municipalities.
But police chief Dick Schaller didn't The paramedic program is non-profit.