Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety Finance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
New Kent approves new EMS billing contract, lowers collection fee to 5.75%
Summary
The board authorized the county administrator to sign a new ambulance-billing revenue-recovery contract with AMSMC (Emergency Medical Services and Management Consultants), moving to a 5.75% collection rate effective Jan. 1, 2026, through June 30, 2028; staff reported $712,000 recovered last year.
The New Kent County Board of Supervisors authorized a new contract for ambulance-billing revenue recovery on Nov. 24, approving a contract the county will piggyback from the City of Portsmouth’s procurement.
Chief O'Pete briefed the board that New Kent has worked with AMSMC (Emergency Medical Services and Management Consultants) for 11 years and recommended continuing the relationship under a contract that preserves services while lowering the collection fee. "We're going to have all the same services but the rate is going to be better...the rate is going from 6 and a half percent collection rate down to 5.75%," Chief O'Pete said. Staff also told the board that the county recovered $712,000 in revenue last year from EMS billing.
Board members sought clarification about billing practices and protections for residents. Chief O'Pete said about 47–50% of collections come from patient insurance and that collections directly from patients are less than 1%; he said collection revenue is deposited into the county’s general fund and confirmed the county’s practice of not pursuing additional collection action when residents cannot afford bills.
Ms. Stewart moved to authorize the county administrator to sign the new EMSMC contract at a 5.75% collection rate, effective Jan. 1, 2026, through June 30, 2028. The motion passed on a roll call with recorded ayes from Ms. Pearson, Mr. Sears, Ms. Stewart, Mr. Moyer and Mr. Avalon.
What happens next: The county administrator will sign the contract and staff will continue to report EMS-recovery revenue as part of annual operations.
