12-13 - Charity Care Policy & Texas Ambulance Supplemental Payment Program Agreement with Public Consulting Group

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Item Nos. 12 & 13 TO: Mayor, Mayor Pro Tem & City Council Grayson Path, City Manager FROM: Russell Thrasher, EMS Director SUBJECT: Charity Care Policy & Texas Ambulance Supplemental Payment Program (TASPP) Agreement with Public Consulting Group DATE: March 28, 2022 BACKGROUND: From time to time, the City EMS provides care and/or transport for indigent individuals unable to compensate the City for the services we provide. They have no insurance, are not covered under Medicare or Medicaid, and have no other means of paying the City. We do not turn people away because of inability to pay, therefore we have to write this expense off. In accordance with Title 1 of the Texas Administrative Code (TAC), Part 15, Chapter 355, Subchapter J, Division 31, Rule 8600, Texas EMS agencies, especially rural, may be eligible for additional compensation from HHSC for the care and transport of indigent individuals who qualify as having no means to pay for ambulance fees. The Texas Ambulance Supplemental Payment Program (TASPP) requires no additional spending by the state Medicaid agency beyond what it pays providers now. TASPP works on behalf of EMS providers to establish a cost recovery program, gain state and federal approval, maximize revenue, accurately identify all allowable revenue sources, ensure compliance, and prepare annual cost reports. In order to be eligible for reimbursement under the TASPP program, the EMS agency must have a Charity Care Policy in place. Currently, there is no written Charity Care Policy in place for the City. This program would be overseen by the EMS Chief and work in coordination with the Emergicon. STATUS OF ISSUE: With guidance from our Third Party Billing Agent, Emergicon, we have been in communication with the Public Consulting Group, LLC, to perform the needed administration of working with the HHSC to identify qualifying individuals from our runs and transports and determine the reimbursement rate. They will then perform the necessary administration to pursue that revenue