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EMS outlines billing transition, equipment leases and plan to restore transfer service
Summary
Richmond Fire/EMS described plans to stabilize revenue after switching billing vendors and to restore patient‑transfer services next year; staff increased contractual spending for leased cardiac monitors and flagged ongoing software-integration work to clear a two‑month billing lag.
Chief (Fire/EMS) and EMS staff updated council on EMS budget and billing operations, including a vendor transition that left a two‑month billing lag and a plan to restore the city’s paid transfer service next year.
The department cut gasoline estimates by $18,000 and reduced some vehicle‑parts lines because new ambulances are in good condition, but increased contractual services (about $10,000) to lease cardiac monitors (quoted at roughly $55,000 each on a lease‑to‑buy basis). Staff said they pay multiple recurring contracts for equipment maintenance, Lucas device service, dash cams and inventory tracking; many contracts are paid annually and may therefore show uneven spending by quarter.
In 2025 the department switched ambulance-billing companies to reduce fees (from 6.5% to 4.5%). That change required technical integration between the dispatch/reports system (REID / run-report tablets) and the new billing vendor. Staff said the switch left two months of billing that are still being reconciled; the department estimated monthly billing collections averaging about $275,000 and projected 2026 revenue conservatively at $2.9M while those reconciling months clear. Chief said the new vendor should lower long-term billing costs and save money over a multi‑year horizon.
Staff also explained temporary suspension of transfer (interfacility) services this year because part‑time employees were redeployed to fill frontline vacancies; restoring transfers next year could yield roughly $300,000 if staffing allows and the department plans to prioritize restoring that revenue stream as hiring stabilizes. Councilors asked about coordination with the billing vendor and the timeline to clear the backlog; staff said they are actively working with the vendor and that some manual screenshot work has been used while software patches are implemented.
Ending: EMS will continue to work with the billing vendor to reconcile outstanding claims, proceed with equipment leases and pursue staff and operational adjustments to restore transfer services once hiring permits.
