Florence County Open Until Resolved RFP

Title: EMS Billing, Collection, and Posting Services

Deadline: 2/28/2023 2:00 PM   (UTC-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada)

Status: Awarded

Solicitation Number: 20-22/23

Description: Florence County is accepting proposals from qualified companies to perform Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Billing, Collection, and Posting Services for Florence County, SC.  

Documents:

Documents as of 2/14/2023
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PLANHOLDERS:

Date Company Name
2/14/2023 11:31:13 AM EMS Management & Consultants
2/14/2023 11:33:36 AM Digitech Computer LLC
2/14/2023 1:10:21 PM Synovus Bank
2/14/2023 10:57:05 PM PWXPress
2/15/2023 3:17:34 AM SevenOutsource
2/15/2023 7:21:31 AM Net Gain Marketing
2/15/2023 8:15:09 AM TShayEnterprise
2/16/2023 10:46:12 AM ImageTrend, Inc.
2/16/2023 11:59:15 AM CJIS GROUP LLC
2/17/2023 12:33:04 PM Deltek
2/27/2023 6:36:04 AM AG Ltd
2/27/2023 2:52:54 PM Colleton Billing
3/13/2023 9:47:06 AM None
3/21/2023 8:15:40 AM Lowcountry Billing
Addition 1

Posted: 3/3/2023

Type of Addition: In Review

Addition 2

Posted: 4/20/2023

Type of Addition: Award Information

Overview: Awarded to EMS-MC, Lewisville, NC on 4-20-2023.

Question 1

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: Why has this bid been released at this time?

Response: Previous contract is due to expire.

Question 2

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: Are bidders permitted to deviate in any way from any manner of quoting fees you may be expecting? For example, if there is a pricing page in the RFP, can bidders submit an alternate fee structure? If there is no pricing page in the RFP, do you have any preference for how bidders should quote fees or can bidders create their own pricing categories?

Response: The County prefers a percentage fee.

Question 3

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: Please describe your level of satisfaction with your current or recent vendor(s) for the same purchasing activity, if applicable.

Response: N/A

Question 4

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: Has the current contract gone full term?

Response: Yes

Question 5

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: Have all options to extend the current contract been exercised?

Response: No response on this.

Question 6

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: Who is the incumbent, and how long has the incumbent been providing the requested services?

Response: EMS Management & Consultants (EMS MC). 5yrs.

Question 7

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: How are fees currently being billed by any incumbent(s), by category, and at what rates?

Response: Answered by another question.

Question 8

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: What estimated or actual dollars were paid last year, last month, or last quarter to any incumbent(s)?

Response: $333,719 (CY22)

Question 9

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: What is the total dollar value of accounts available for placement now by category, including any backlog?

Response: Not sure what is being asked. Please clarify!

Question 10

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: What is the total number of accounts available for placement now by category, including any backlog?

Response: Not sure what is being asked. Please clarify!

Question 11

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: What is the average balance of accounts by category?

Response: Not sure what is being asked. Please clarify!

Question 12

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: Can you please indicate what inbound and outbound contact methods, beyond phone calls or letters (such as email and text), would be permitted by the scope of work?

Response: N/A

Question 13

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: What were your annual total adjustments for last year or for the last 12 months?

Response: Rev adj $-163.03

Question 14

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: What were your annual contractual allowance write offs for last year or for the last 12 months?

Response: Contractual Allowances $4,294,843. Write Offs $3,445,667

Question 15

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: What are your per-mile ground transport charges?

Response: $13.07

Question 16

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: What are your advanced life support charges?

Response: $722.21

Question 17

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: What are your advanced life support emergency level 1 charges?

Response: $722.21

Question 18

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: What are your advanced life support emergency level 2 charges?

Response: $1045.31

Question 19

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: What are your basic life support charges?

Response: $608.18

Question 20

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: What are your basic life support emergency charges?

Response: $608.18

Question 21

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: What are your specialty care transport charges?

Response: $1235.37

Question 22

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: What are your treatment without transport charges?

Response: $150.00

Question 23

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: What is your average per-trip charge?

Response: Gross $737.26 Net $545.85

Question 24

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: When were the last changes to your transport rates, and are you considering raising any of the rates currently charged?

Response: 1.1.23

Question 25

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: Are there any other charges you assess not otherwise covered by our questions?

Response: Disposable supplies and oxygen

Question 26

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: What percentage of your patients are residents versus non-residents, and do you charge the two groups differently?

Response: No, we do not differentiate

Question 27

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: Do you operate any shared services agreements with any other municipal or county governments in the region and, if so, with whom?

Response: No

Question 28

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: What were your transports per year for advanced life support for last year or for the last 12 months?

Response: 11,864

Question 29

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: What were your transports per year for advanced life support emergency level 1 for last year or for the last 12 months?

Response: 11,864

Question 30

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: What were your transports per year for advanced life support emergency level 2 for last year or for the last 12 months?

Response: 378

Question 31

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: What were your transports per year for basic life support for last year or for the last 12 months?

Response: 6,475

Question 32

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: What were your transports per year for basic life support emergency for last year or for the last 12 months?

Response: 6,475

Question 33

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: What were your transports per year for specialty care transport for last year or for the last 12 months?

Response: 0

Question 34

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: What were your transports per year for treatment without transport for last year or for the last 12 months?

Response: 40 billable

Question 35

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: What is your payer mix expressed as percentages of 100% billed?

Response: Medicare 48%, Medicaid 18%, Commercial Insurance 12%, patient pay 23%

Question 36

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: What is your payer remit mix expressed as percentages of 100% of what you typically receive?

Response: Medicare 48%, Medicaid 18%, Commercial Insurance 12%, patient pay 23%

Question 37

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: How many total transport vehicles do you now operate?

Response: 19

Question 38

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: What is your average loaded miles per trip?

Response: 7.1

Question 39

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: What is your average revenue per call?

Response: $267

Question 40

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: Do you have a lockbox provider and, if so, which provider?

Response: No

Question 41

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: If you have a lockbox provider, will that provider remain in place as a result of this procurement?

Response: No

Question 42

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: Do you have a collection agency provider and, if so, which provider?

Response: No

Question 43

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: As part of the contract is the new vendor required to mail Notice of Privacy Practices to patients?

Response: No

Question 44

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: Does Florence County have its own credit card merchant account for processing credit cards? - Is the billing vendor responsible for the credit card processing fees?

Response: Billing vendor responsible for processing Credit Card payments

Question 45

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: In the two most recent fiscal or calendar years, what was the actual number of billable transports by the agency? Please separate the amounts in years (i.e., total for 2021, total for 2020).

Response: FY22 18,882 FY21 17,889

Question 46

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: In the two most recent fiscal or calendar years, what was the total amount of cash posted by the agency for ambulance transports? Please separate the amounts in years (i.e., total for 2021, total for 2020).

Response: FY22 Net Collections $5,566,412 FY21 Net Collections $4,909,625

Question 47

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: In the two most recent fiscal or calendar years, what was the total amount of gross charges generated by the agency for ambulance charges? Please separate the amounts in years (i.e., total for 2021, total for 2020).

Response: FY22 $13,414,640 FY21$12,430,993

Question 48

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: Please provide the number of emergency and non-emergency transports broken down by service level: a. ALS Emergency b. ALS Non-Emergency c. BLS Emergency d. BLS Non-Emergency e. ALS 2 f. Specialty Care Transport g. Paramedic Intercept h. Treat No Transport i. Lift Assists j. Any other billable dispositions broken out by each disposition

Response: Past 12 months ALSE 11,864, BLSE 6,475, ALS 2 378 TNT 40

Question 49

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: If the agency is running non-emergency transports, what types of transports make up this volume (e.g. dialysis, hospital procedures, discharge, etc..)?

Response: N/A

Question 50

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: Please provide your current rates for each of the service levels: a. ALS Emergency b. ALS Non-Emergency c. BLS Emergency d. BLS Non-Emergency e. ALS 2 f. Specialty Care Transport g. Paramedic Intercept h. Treat No Transport i. Lift Assists j. Any other billable dispositions broken out by each disposition

Response: ALSE 722.21 BLS E 608.18 ALS2 1045.31, TNT 150

Question 51

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: If your agency has indicated that you perform non-emergency transports, can you please provide further feedback on the types of non-emergency transports that you perform (dialysis, hospital procedures, hospital or nursing home discharge, physical therapy, etc.)?

Response: None

Question 52

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: How much does the agency charge per mile?

Response: $13.07

Question 53

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: What is your average loaded mileage?

Response: 7.1

Question 54

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: Please provide the payer mix, i.e., the total percentage of charges that were billed to the following four main payer groups in the two most recent fiscal or calendar years: a. Medicare b. Medicaid c. Commercial insurance d. Self-pay accounts

Response: Medicare 48%, Medicaid 18%, Commercial Insurance 12%, patient pay 23%

Question 55

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: Does Florence County use a collection agency? a. If so, does your current vendor charge its billing fee to cash that’s collected by the collection agency?

Response: No

Question 56

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question:

Response: N/A

Question 57

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: Does the agency participate in any supplemental payment programs?

Response: No

Question 58

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: What customer service hours (for patients) are required?

Response: Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. At a minimum, 9am-5pm Eastern Standard Time.

Question 59

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: How much was collected through the SC Debt Set-Off Program in the County’s last fiscal year?

Response: $294,331

Posted: 3/3/2023

Type of Addition: In Review

Posted: 4/20/2023

Type of Addition: Award Information

Overview: Awarded to EMS-MC, Lewisville, NC on 4-20-2023.

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: Why has this bid been released at this time?

Response: Previous contract is due to expire.

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: Are bidders permitted to deviate in any way from any manner of quoting fees you may be expecting? For example, if there is a pricing page in the RFP, can bidders submit an alternate fee structure? If there is no pricing page in the RFP, do you have any preference for how bidders should quote fees or can bidders create their own pricing categories?

Response: The County prefers a percentage fee.

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: Please describe your level of satisfaction with your current or recent vendor(s) for the same purchasing activity, if applicable.

Response: N/A

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: Has the current contract gone full term?

Response: Yes

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: Have all options to extend the current contract been exercised?

Response: No response on this.

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: Who is the incumbent, and how long has the incumbent been providing the requested services?

Response: EMS Management & Consultants (EMS MC). 5yrs.

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: How are fees currently being billed by any incumbent(s), by category, and at what rates?

Response: Answered by another question.

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: What estimated or actual dollars were paid last year, last month, or last quarter to any incumbent(s)?

Response: $333,719 (CY22)

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: What is the total dollar value of accounts available for placement now by category, including any backlog?

Response: Not sure what is being asked. Please clarify!

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: What is the total number of accounts available for placement now by category, including any backlog?

Response: Not sure what is being asked. Please clarify!

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: What is the average balance of accounts by category?

Response: Not sure what is being asked. Please clarify!

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: Can you please indicate what inbound and outbound contact methods, beyond phone calls or letters (such as email and text), would be permitted by the scope of work?

Response: N/A

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: What were your annual total adjustments for last year or for the last 12 months?

Response: Rev adj $-163.03

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: What were your annual contractual allowance write offs for last year or for the last 12 months?

Response: Contractual Allowances $4,294,843. Write Offs $3,445,667

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: What are your per-mile ground transport charges?

Response: $13.07

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: What are your advanced life support charges?

Response: $722.21

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: What are your advanced life support emergency level 1 charges?

Response: $722.21

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: What are your advanced life support emergency level 2 charges?

Response: $1045.31

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: What are your basic life support charges?

Response: $608.18

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: What are your basic life support emergency charges?

Response: $608.18

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: What are your specialty care transport charges?

Response: $1235.37

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: What are your treatment without transport charges?

Response: $150.00

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: What is your average per-trip charge?

Response: Gross $737.26 Net $545.85

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: When were the last changes to your transport rates, and are you considering raising any of the rates currently charged?

Response: 1.1.23

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: Are there any other charges you assess not otherwise covered by our questions?

Response: Disposable supplies and oxygen

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: What percentage of your patients are residents versus non-residents, and do you charge the two groups differently?

Response: No, we do not differentiate

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: Do you operate any shared services agreements with any other municipal or county governments in the region and, if so, with whom?

Response: No

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: What were your transports per year for advanced life support for last year or for the last 12 months?

Response: 11,864

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: What were your transports per year for advanced life support emergency level 1 for last year or for the last 12 months?

Response: 11,864

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: What were your transports per year for advanced life support emergency level 2 for last year or for the last 12 months?

Response: 378

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: What were your transports per year for basic life support for last year or for the last 12 months?

Response: 6,475

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: What were your transports per year for basic life support emergency for last year or for the last 12 months?

Response: 6,475

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: What were your transports per year for specialty care transport for last year or for the last 12 months?

Response: 0

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: What were your transports per year for treatment without transport for last year or for the last 12 months?

Response: 40 billable

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: What is your payer mix expressed as percentages of 100% billed?

Response: Medicare 48%, Medicaid 18%, Commercial Insurance 12%, patient pay 23%

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: What is your payer remit mix expressed as percentages of 100% of what you typically receive?

Response: Medicare 48%, Medicaid 18%, Commercial Insurance 12%, patient pay 23%

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: How many total transport vehicles do you now operate?

Response: 19

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: What is your average loaded miles per trip?

Response: 7.1

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: What is your average revenue per call?

Response: $267

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: Do you have a lockbox provider and, if so, which provider?

Response: No

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: If you have a lockbox provider, will that provider remain in place as a result of this procurement?

Response: No

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: Do you have a collection agency provider and, if so, which provider?

Response: No

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: As part of the contract is the new vendor required to mail Notice of Privacy Practices to patients?

Response: No

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: Does Florence County have its own credit card merchant account for processing credit cards? - Is the billing vendor responsible for the credit card processing fees?

Response: Billing vendor responsible for processing Credit Card payments

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: In the two most recent fiscal or calendar years, what was the actual number of billable transports by the agency? Please separate the amounts in years (i.e., total for 2021, total for 2020).

Response: FY22 18,882 FY21 17,889

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: In the two most recent fiscal or calendar years, what was the total amount of cash posted by the agency for ambulance transports? Please separate the amounts in years (i.e., total for 2021, total for 2020).

Response: FY22 Net Collections $5,566,412 FY21 Net Collections $4,909,625

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: In the two most recent fiscal or calendar years, what was the total amount of gross charges generated by the agency for ambulance charges? Please separate the amounts in years (i.e., total for 2021, total for 2020).

Response: FY22 $13,414,640 FY21$12,430,993

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: Please provide the number of emergency and non-emergency transports broken down by service level: a. ALS Emergency b. ALS Non-Emergency c. BLS Emergency d. BLS Non-Emergency e. ALS 2 f. Specialty Care Transport g. Paramedic Intercept h. Treat No Transport i. Lift Assists j. Any other billable dispositions broken out by each disposition

Response: Past 12 months ALSE 11,864, BLSE 6,475, ALS 2 378 TNT 40

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: If the agency is running non-emergency transports, what types of transports make up this volume (e.g. dialysis, hospital procedures, discharge, etc..)?

Response: N/A

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: Please provide your current rates for each of the service levels: a. ALS Emergency b. ALS Non-Emergency c. BLS Emergency d. BLS Non-Emergency e. ALS 2 f. Specialty Care Transport g. Paramedic Intercept h. Treat No Transport i. Lift Assists j. Any other billable dispositions broken out by each disposition

Response: ALSE 722.21 BLS E 608.18 ALS2 1045.31, TNT 150

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: If your agency has indicated that you perform non-emergency transports, can you please provide further feedback on the types of non-emergency transports that you perform (dialysis, hospital procedures, hospital or nursing home discharge, physical therapy, etc.)?

Response: None

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: How much does the agency charge per mile?

Response: $13.07

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: What is your average loaded mileage?

Response: 7.1

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: Please provide the payer mix, i.e., the total percentage of charges that were billed to the following four main payer groups in the two most recent fiscal or calendar years: a. Medicare b. Medicaid c. Commercial insurance d. Self-pay accounts

Response: Medicare 48%, Medicaid 18%, Commercial Insurance 12%, patient pay 23%

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: Does Florence County use a collection agency? a. If so, does your current vendor charge its billing fee to cash that’s collected by the collection agency?

Response: No

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question:

Response: N/A

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: Does the agency participate in any supplemental payment programs?

Response: No

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: What customer service hours (for patients) are required?

Response: Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. At a minimum, 9am-5pm Eastern Standard Time.

Posted: 2/15/2023

Question: How much was collected through the SC Debt Set-Off Program in the County’s last fiscal year?

Response: $294,331