The town of Londonderry will examine the way it bills for ambulance services.
In a budget workshop Monday night, Finance Director Doug Smith reported on the town’s rate of recovery for the services it provides. “In a nutshell,” Smith said, “We can improve.”
The plan for improvement includes better communication with both hospitals and insurance companies.
Smith said most hospitals are willing to give a “face sheet” on patients within 24 hours. In addition, he said, with any patient that has a New Hampshire insurance carrier, the insurance company is required to make direct payment to the ambulance company.
“We need to be more aggressive in going after payment, and reducing the write-off,” Smith said.
Fire Chief Darren O’Brien said in the past, the insurance companies had the option of sending the payment to the individual or to the ambulance company. Now, he said, they are responsible for sending it directly to the ambulance company.
O’Brien said his department does receive the “face sheets” from hospitals, but that they do not necessarily include insurance information.
Town Manager Kevin Smith observed that private ambulance companies, if not paid, report the individual to credit agencies.
“You need to tell them, ‘You owe it to us under statute,’” Councilor Tom Freda said.
In other business, Council Chair John Farrell thanked community members for the smoothness with which the Nov. 8 primary election was conducted. He thanked Town Manager Smith, the “100 plus” Londonderry High School students who helped, the custodial and cafeteria staffs at the school, the ALERT team, and police, fire and public works.