Heights negotiates medical billing service
Posted On: Wednesday, Oct. 28 2009 04:12 AM
By Mason W. Canales
Killeen Daily HeraldHARKER HEIGHTS – The City Council elected to negotiate a contract with a new emergency medical services billing service at a Tuesday meeting.
The City Council authorized City Manager Steve Carpenter to negotiate a contract with Southwest General Services of Dallas L.L.C.
The city's current billing services contract for emergency medical services provided by the city's fire department has expired, Fire Chief Jack Collier said during the meeting.
The city sent out six requests for proposal for the billing service and received three of those requests back.
The billing agency that was previously under contract had a collection rate of about 42 percent of the fire department's charges, Collier said.
Mayor Ed Mullen asked whether that rate was low.
"I think that is a bit low," Collier said.
The average collection rate percentage statewide is between 50 percent and 60 percent, Carpenter said.
SGS has a collection rate of about 70 percent, stated information from the city. The company charges the city about 14 percent of the city's net collections, the information stated. The previous company only charged 10 percent.
"It is estimated that the city will receive an additional $250,000 in ambulance revenue," the information stated.
The City Council also took the following actions Tuesday:
Held a public hearing to discuss the city's drought contingency plan, which was approved by Texas Commission of Environmental Quality.
Received a presentation about the Heart of Texas Defense Alliance.
Received a presentation about the city's fourth-quarter investment report for the 2008-09 fiscal year.
Received the city manager's report.
Contact Mason W. Canales at
mcanales@kdhnews.com or (254) 501-7554.