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Council decides not to enter ambulance-payment contract with Wellmark after billing review
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Summary
After staff and billing contractor review, council voted not to approve a proposed contract with Wellmark for ambulance payments. Staff reported that Wellmark patients were only about 8% of patient volume and that the write-offs attributed to that source were small.
Cascade City Council declined to approve a proposed contract with Wellmark Insurance for ambulance payments after staff and billing contractor analysis.
City staff and EMS billing representatives reported that Wellmark patients made up about 8% of the city’s EMS patient volume and that of approximately $32,000 written off, only about $2,500 was attributable to Wellmark patients. Staff and council questioned the benefit of the contract, noting contract rates paid by Wellmark would be lower than the city’s current billed amounts and the administrative benefit (checks sent from the insurer rather than patients) did not, in staff’s view, outweigh the costs.
Council un-tabled the resolution for consideration, then moved and seconded a motion to not approve the contract; the motion carried on roll call. Staff said they would revisit the matter at the end of the year if the patient mix or write-off figures changed.
Council therefore did not authorize entering into the Wellmark ambulance-payment contract at this time.
