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Council hears ambulance-billing briefing: Emergicon collection rate 45%, city collected about $1.8M on $3.5M billed
Summary
Fire department reviewed ambulance billing and third-party collections: the city billed nearly $3.5 million and collected about $1.8 million (around 51%); staff said Emergicon's 45% collection rate compares favorably with a 30–35% industry norm and offered to return with scenarios for fee adjustments focused on nonresident charges and mileage/oxygen fees.
Fire Department staff reviewed ambulance-billing authority and the city's fee schedule, which the presenter said has not been updated since 2014. The department’s third-party billing vendor, Emergicon, has managed collections since 2018; staff reported a 45% collection rate and said the city billed just under $3.5 million last year and collected just under $1.8 million (about 51% collection). "Our collection rate with Emergicon is pretty good. It's 45% whereas industry kind of norm is between 30 35%," the chief said.
Staff explained the billing matrix (BLS, ALS1, ALS2), non-transport fee ($100), oxygen ($60) and mileage ($15). Council members asked whether raising fees (for example, nonresident rates or ancillary charges) would produce meaningful additional revenue; staff said Medicare and Medicaid caps limit recoverable revenue for many calls and offered to return with modeled scenarios and possible nonresident rate increases.
