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Council raises EMS billing and accounts‑receivable oversight; internal audit and risk management to follow up
Summary
Council members criticized a long‑running EMS billing problem and asked internal audit and risk management about oversight of the outside billing contractor. Staff said internal audit budgets include contingency for large audits and risk management will assign 1.5 staff to monitor the EMS contract.
During review of the Bureau of Internal Audit and the Division of Risk Management, council members pressed finance officials about the city’s longstanding problems with EMS billing, the size of accounts receivable and oversight of the private contractor hired to collect EMS accounts.
The director said the internal audit budget includes $175,000 annually for a potentially large audit and a separate line for state audits; auditors budget for work citywide and then allocate hours to utilities, airports and federal programs as appropriate. The director also said internal audit planned to add interns and reduce total personnel by one in order to raise pay ranges and retain senior audit staff.
Council members described EMS billing as “a disaster” in recent years and asked why internal controls had not flagged the problem earlier. The director said the internal audit manager is proactive and that the department will keep accounts receivable oversight on its radar. Risk management staff said they currently have one full‑time manager assigned to the EMS contract and plan to add additional part‑time support so the contract will be monitored by “one and a half” staff.
Several council members said they will convene a deeper oversight review (safety committee follow‑up). Council members requested that internal audit and risk management provide: (1) the name of the staff assigned to manage the EMS contract, (2) documentation of the monitoring plan and (3) historical audits or reviews that addressed EMS billing and collections.
