[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Council of the Township
of Willingboro 9-22-2009 by Ord. No. 2009-24. Amendments noted
where applicable.]
The Township of Willingboro provides emergency medical services
through the Willingboro Township Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
(a department of the Township of Willingboro) to citizens and visitors
of the Township of Willingboro on a twenty-four-hour basis throughout
the year to the extent that such resources are available.
All persons needing Willingboro Township EMS services within
the Township of Willingboro shall be serviced to the extent that such
services are available without discrimination on any basis and without
respect to residency, ability to pay, or any other factor. No person
located within Willingboro Township at the time emergency medical
services are needed shall be denied available service when such services
are available. There shall be no delay in providing available service
due to Willingboro Township EMS billing.
Willingboro Township, through the Willingboro Township EMS and
a third-party billing agent (retained by Willingboro Township for
purposes of seeking payment for the provision of EMS emergency services),
shall maintain accurate records of all Willingboro Township EMS requests
for service, service calls, and services approved by the Willingboro
Township EMS. Said records shall include pertinent information about
the general nature of the call and shall identify the complete name,
mailing address, place of domicile, location and telephone numbers
of all persons requesting and receiving Willingboro Township EMS services,
as well as all pertinent and available insurance information. All
medical records will be maintained and released only in accordance
with HIPAA privacy laws.
The Township of Willingboro shall contract with a third-party
billing agent for the collection of payment for services rendered
by the Willingboro Township EMS. Said bill shall be issued to the
insurance company for the person served, if any, or directly to the
person served if insurance coverage is not available. Fees to be charged
for Willingboro Township EMS services shall be as follows:
Persons receiving a bill for Willingboro Township EMS services
shall make payment to the Willingboro Township third-party billing
agent within 30 days or provide proof that they have submitted a claim
to their insurance carrier for payment within 30 days of receipt of
request of a bill. These provisions shall be subject to the following:
A.
Persons receiving Willingboro Township EMS services who have health
insurance to cover ambulance and emergency medical services are expected
to cooperate with Willingboro Township's third-party billing
agent to secure full payment for services rendered.
B.
In the event the health insurance company of a taxpayer or domiciled
resident does not pay the bill in full, the Township of Willingboro
will accept such partial payment to the extent on the insured's
policy limits, including deductible and coinsurance requirements,
as payment in full.
C.
In the event a taxpayer or domiciled resident of the Township of
Willingboro does not have health insurance, payment shall not be required.
D.
Due to the time requirements for the preparation and processing of
insurance claims, interest shall not be charged on Willingboro Township
EMS billings.
E.
After providing emergency medical services, the Willingboro Township EMS shall transmit all pertinent billing information to Willingboro Township's third-party billing agent for collection as set forth in Subsection F below. The third-party billing agent shall be responsible for receipt of payment and proper recordkeeping of its collections as provided in its contract with the Township of Willingboro. Payments received by the third-party billing agent shall, thereafter, be transmitted electronically to a designated account of the Township of Willingboro to be administered by the Willingboro Township Chief Financial Officer (CFO). In addition, the third-party billing agent shall simultaneously transmit a transport report to the Willingboro Township EMS for its review and approval and a transport report copy to the Township CFO. The Willingboro Township EMS shall prepare a reconciliation report and shall monitor the operations of the third-party billing agent, including billing activities and receipt of funds.
F.
The third-party billing agent shall be responsible for the initial
billing and two follow-up billings. Costs associated with the third-party
reimbursement requests shall be based solely on a percent of reimbursement
collections as provided in its contract with the Township of Willingboro.
After three attempts to collect said claim, the third-party billing
agency shall notify the Township of Willingboro and relinquish rights
to that billing, unless otherwise directed by the Township Manager.
The Township of Willingboro shall turn said delinquent accounts over
to a collection agency that will be compensated on a percent of cash
collections of the delinquent accounts. The Township of Willingboro
reserves the right to determine that a bill is uncollectible and should
be written off.
For the purposes of emergency medical service charges, the following
definitions shall apply:
Any individual who is the spouse or an unemancipated child (natural,
adopted or stepchild) of a taxpayer or domiciled resident as defined
in this section;
Any unemancipated child for whom the taxpayer or year-round
resident has been appointed legal guardian;
Any individual who resides in a permanent domicile of the taxpayer
or domiciled resident and is claimed as a dependent for federal income
tax purposes; or
Any individual who resides in the permanent domicile of the
taxpayer or domiciled resident and who is deemed to be a dependent
under the health insurance policy of the taxpayer or domiciled resident.
Any individual whose legal domicile is within the Township
of Willingboro. Verification of domicile shall be based on voter registration,
a State of New Jersey driver's license, proof of filing a State
of New Jersey income tax return from a Willingboro Township address
or other proofs accepted under federal guidelines.
Any individual listed on the deed of ownership of any property
located within the municipal boundaries of the Township of Willingboro
and their dependents as defined in this section. In the case of a
corporation or partnership, only those individuals retaining a twenty-five-percent
or greater ownership shall be considered a taxpayer. For the purpose
of determining a twenty-five-percent or greater ownership, adult married
or civil union partners may combine their ownership. A dependent as
defined in this section shall be considered a taxpayer.
