08 - Medicare Ground Ambulanca Data Collection Survey

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Item No. 8 Memorandum TO: Mayor, Mayor Fro -Tem & City Council Grayson Path, City Manager FROM: Thomas McMonigle, Interim EMS Director SUBJECT: MEDICARE GROUND AMBULANCE DATA COLLECTION SURVEY CONTRACT DATE: March 02, 2023 BACKGROUND: As part of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) requires that all providers of ground ambulance services collect and report expenditures, revenues, utilization, and other departmental statistics. This data will be used to assess current payment rates and inform future reimbursement rates. Half of all ground ambulance providers have or will begin collecting data in 2022, either by calendar or fiscal year. The remaining half will begin collecting data in 2023. Precise and complete cost data collection is critical to the establishment of adequate future rates. Paris EMS was notified in 2022 of its inclusion in the 2022 fiscal year data collection group, with the final submission of data to be completed in February 2024. "Failure to sufficiently submit the required information will result in a 10 percent reduction to payments under the Ambulance Fee Schedule (AFS) for one year" (CMS, 2019). STATUS OF ISSUE: This survey entails data collection from over 200 data sets with everything being submitted in the proper format in order to be accepted. Knowing which data sets to collect from and proper formatting are the key aspects to a successful submission. While Paris EMS staff is capable of collecting the needed data, our personnel does not have knowledge of exactly which data points are needed nor the proper format of such data. Public Consulting Group (PCG) is a company that specializes in such data collection and will provide comprehensive and complete survey preparation and audit support. The City of Paris currently contracts with PCG to assist in receiving supplemental funding through the State of Texas for indigent payers. While Paris EMS will still do extensive work collecting the data, PCG will ask for the specific data sets needed, compile the data, and present in the proper format for a successful submission. PCG will also analyze the data for verification purposes, prepare and audit the Survey and all supporting documentation, and will submit the Survey on behalf of the City of Paris and Paris EMS. They will also provide federal audit support of this Survey as necessary. Entering into a contract with