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Billing contractor: Medicaid makes up most ambulance collections; county weighing settlement policy
Summary
The board heard that Colleton Software collects roughly 78% of ambulance payments from Medicaid, that debt-setoff and 30/60/90-day letters are part of the process, and that the county has begun receiving settlement offers it could accept under a guiding policy.
At the Jan. 6 meeting the Washington County Board of Commissioners heard from Bruce Gurkin, president of Colleton Software, on the county's EMS billing and collections.
Gurkin told the board roughly 78% of ambulance-billing collections come from Medicaid and that Colleton's practical collection ceiling is about 80 percent. He described standard collection steps — 30-, 60- and 90-day letters — and said accounts with no activity may be placed on debt setoff. EMS Director Ms. O'Neal said some residents paid after receiving debt-setoff letters.
County Manager/County Attorney Curtis Potter told the board that settlement offers began arriving in December and estimated the county could recoup perhaps 60% to 70% through settlements, but that staff prefer to have a formal policy to guide acceptance of settlement offers before proceeding.
No action was taken Jan. 6; commissioners received the report and staff was asked to draft or recommend any needed policy language before pursuing settlements.
