(a) Except as noted in division (b) below, all persons, whether residents or nonresidents of the City, as well as their insurance company, Medicare, Medicaid, or other coverage provider of the individual transported shall be invoiced for all emergency medical transports by the Trenton Fire Department (TFD). Said invoicing shall be according to the usual, reasonable and customary charges at the most current prevailing for the service area, at the highest and most appropriate rate allowed by the proper authority. Said charges shall also consider the actual costs of providing 911 services for all basic life support services (BLS); advanced life support services (ALS 1 and 2); and ambulance service transport mileage for both ALS and BLS transports provided by the City. The City Manager is authorized to adjust these charges annually after considering the actual costs of providing these services and after consideration of inflationary adjustments allowed by the federal government.
(b) As long as the United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General Advisory Opinion 01-11 remains valid, any individual who is provided with emergency medical transport and who provides proof of residency within the City corporate boundaries at the time of said transport shall not receive an invoice nor shall he or she be required to pay any portion of charges not otherwise covered by the insurance company, Medicare, Medicaid, or other coverage provider of the individual transported. It shall be the responsibility of the individual so invoiced to provide adequate proof of residency, if requested. This provision does not prohibit the City or its representatives from invoicing the insurance company, Medicare, Medicaid, or other coverage provider of the individual transported as many times as necessary to effect remittance.
(c) In no case shall the City or its representative send more than three copies of an invoice requesting payment for a particular transport to the individual transported. After three such invoices are sent for the same transport to an individual, no further action shall be taken by and on behalf of the City. Rather, the City Manager shall take appropriate action in compliance with acceptable auditing standards to write off said invoice or forgive any fees that are deemed to be uncollectible after the practices, policies, and procedures as established by the City have been completed. This provision does not prohibit the City or its representatives from invoicing the insurance company, Medicare, Medicaid, or other coverage provider of the individual transported as many times as necessary to effect remittance.
(d) The City Manager shall resolve all disputes arising out of the application of this section.
(Ord. 21-2005. Passed 7-7-05.)