§ 66-60. Billing and collection procedure.

The following shall be the procedure for billing and collection of health related service fees and charges. This procedure may be revised and/or amended by the board of county commissioners by resolution.

(1)

Initial fees and charges for health care shall be assessed either prior to or following service provision, as service dynamics reasonably permit. Unpaid fees and charges, at the time of service, shall be reflected in an accounts receivable ledger system.

(2)

An initial bill for previously assessed but unpaid fees and charges or previously unassessed fees and charges shall be sent to the patient within 30 days after service is provided.

(3)

If the initial bill is not paid within 30 days from the initial billing date, then a past due bill will be sent to the patient. A payment plan will be available for past due bill recipients. Each provider agency shall establish and administer a payment plan.

(4)

If the initial bill is delinquent and not paid within 60 days from the initial billing date or a payment plan is not established and active, a notice of delinquency shall be sent to the service recipient or responsible party.

(5)

If the initial bill for EMS services is delinquent and not paid within 75 days from the initial billing date or a payment plan is not established and active, another notice of delinquency shall be sent to the service recipient or responsible party.

(6)

If the initial bill is delinquent and not paid within 90 days from the initial billing date, a final notice of delinquency shall be sent to the service recipient or responsible party specifying that the account may be pursued through civil action, collection agency or other collection methods.

(7)

When billings, at any stage in this billing and collection procedure, are returned because the postal service cannot effectuate delivery, the providing agency shall make a reasonable effort to ascertain the correct mailing address. If reasonable efforts to ascertain a correct address fail, the account may be turned over to a collection agency.

(8)

Nothing contained in this section shall preclude reasonable telephone or other contact for billing or collection purposes, in accordance with all applicable laws.

(9)

At the end of each fiscal year, the provider agency shall review all past due accounts and report to the board of county commissioners all past due accounts which the agency believes are uncollectable. The board of county commissioners may, after reviewing these accounts and after finding that diligent efforts at collection have proven unsuccessful, remove past due accounts from active accounts receivable in accordance with F.S. ch. 17 and report, by resolution, these accounts to the state department of banking and finance to adjust and settle or cause to be adjusted and settled.

(Ord. No. 91-46, § 5; Ord. No. 93-90, § 1)