CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM
ACTION REQUESTED:
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Approve the award of RFP 25-025, EMS Billing Software Solution, to ImageTrend for an amount not to exceed $168,268.94 and for a five-year term
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DEPARTMENT: Fire Department
SUBMITTED BY: Mark Puknaitis, Fire Chief
BOARD/COMMISSION REVIEW:
N/A
BACKGROUND:
Per Naperville Municipal Code Section 1-8B-4, the Fire Department is responsible for maintaining and providing ambulance (EMS) and other emergency services (non-EMS) within the City, and within such additional areas which are to be served under contract. The Code also establishes the amounts to charge residents and non-residents for responding with City resources.
Historically, the City has outsourced EMS and non-EMS billing services due to staffing limitations in both the Fire and Finance departments. By outsourcing, the City ensured dedicated collection efforts, compliance with Medicaid/Medicare requirements, private insurance regulations, and industry best practices. Non-EMS services billed and collected included specialized responses such as motor vehicle accidents and vehicle fires.
The City currently outsources this service; however, the Fire Department has experienced a decline in collected revenue and an increase in outstanding accounts receivable resulting from poor denial management and untimely filing issues. These issues have negatively impacted the City's revenue cycle and prompted the Fire Department to seek alternative solutions for ambulance billing services.
Compounding the problem, the ambulance billing industry has consolidated significantly in recent years, leaving few viable options for contracting with a third-party vendor. Other fire departments in the area have reported similar challenges. This further reinforces the decision to pilot in-house billing operations.
Performance Data (2023-2025):
Year
Call Volume
Avg. Collected per Trip
Total AR
Total Revenue
2023
10,913
$620
$5,038,180
$8,617,891
2024
11,639
$541
$5,527,785
$8,3...
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