2022-022 - Adopting the Charity Care Policy for Ambulance ServicesRESOLUTION NO. 2022-n27
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PARIS, TEXAS,
ADOPTING THE CHARITY CARE POLICY FOR AMBULANCE SERVICES;
MAKING OTHER FINDINGS AND PROVISIONS AND DECLARING AN
EFFECTIVE DATE.
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Paris, Texas wishes to adopt a Charity Care
policy for Ambulance Services (the "Policy') to become eligible under Title 1 of the Texas
Administrative Code (TAC), Part 15, Chapter 355, Subchapter J, Division 31, Rule 8600, for
additional compensation from Texas Department of Health and Human Services ("HHSC")
for the care and transport of indigent individuals having no means to pay for ambulance
fees (the "Program");
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
PARIS, TEXAS THAT:
Section 1. That the findings set out in the preamble to this resolution are hereby
in all things approved.
Section 2. The attached Charity Care policy attached hereto as Exhi and
incorporated herein by reference is hereby approved.
Section 3. This Resolution shall take effect immediately after its passage in
accordance with the provisions of law.
PASSED AND APPROVED this 28th day of March, 2022.
�y v
............ °�+® R .. fir °' �� .' ., ✓
-�� Paula Portugal, Mayor°
ATTEST:
ice Ellis, City Clerk
OVED AS TO 0
Ste h nie H. Harris, City Attorney
CHARITY CARE POLICY for AMBULANCE SERVICES
AMBULANCE SERVICES PROVIDER: City of Paris EMS
APPROVED: 3/1/2022
PURPOSE
The purpose of this policy is to recognize that City of Paris EMS may provide ambulance services
to patients who may not have the means to pay the ambulance transport fee due to
circumstances beyond their control. It is not the intent of this policy to provide charity care to
patients who have the ability to pay or patients who have private insurance, Medicare, Medicaid
or other third -party coverage.
POLICY
It is the policy of City of Paris EMS to provide ambulance services to our community without
regards to a patient's and/or guarantor's ability to pay for these services. We maintain a charity
care policy for patients who are unable to pay for all or part of their care for various reasons.
Charity care is not available for patients who are able to pay for their care. For those patients
who are able to pay for their care, City of Paris EMS shall require payment but may offer special
arrangements, including payment plans, with approval of the EMS Director. Payment plan
inquiries shall be directed to City of Paris EMS, PO Box 9037, Paris, Texas 75461-9037.
GUIDELINES
These guidelines are provided to the contractor(s) currently performing ambulance billing and
collections and revenue maximization consulting services for City of Paris EMS. The contractor(s)
may rely on these guidelines and provide hardship assistance without further approval from City
of Paris EMS. However, City of Paris EMS reserves the right to review any of the accounts that
were deemed eligible for charity care in order to ascertain if the contractor is acting in conformity
with the guidelines. City of Paris EMS further reserves the right to modify this policy at any time.
Full charity care reduction (100% write-off of ambulance service charges to charity care) shall be
granted to patients earning less than or equal to 400% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), as
published annually by the Department of Health and Human Services. City of Paris EMS and/or
its contractor(s) shall rely on financial data provided by the patient and may also utilize data from
credit bureaus and other sources to determine if the patient is eligible for charity care. Once it is
determined that the patient is eligible for charity care, City of Paris EMS or its contractor(s) shall
make no further attempts to collect payment from the patient.