City Council - Ordinance Committee

CHICOPEE CITY COUNCIL ORDINANCE COMMITTEE ACCEPTED MEMBERS James Tillotson, Chairman Gary Labrie, Vice-Chairman Robert J. Zygarowski Frank Laflamme Timothy McLellan MINUTES April 8, 2014 The following are the minutes of a public hearing held Tuesday, April 8, 2014 at 6:30 PM in the City Council Chambers, Fourth Floor, City Hall Annex, 274 Front Street, Chicopee, MA 01013. Members Present: Tillotson, Labrie, Laflamme, Zygarowski (arrived at 6:34) Not Present: McLellan Also Present: Dan Garvey (Associate City Solicitor), Councilor Lamontagne, Frank Czepiel (Commission on Disabled), Katie Kalbaugh (Vice Chairman Ambulance Commission), Barbara Pininski (Ambulance Commission), Domer Ringuette (Ambulance Commission), Jason Reed (Ambulance Commission) The meeting was called to order at 6:30 PM. ITEM #1 BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL THAT CHAPTER 7 OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF CHICOPEE FOR THE YEAR 1991, AS AMENDED BE AND HEREBY IS FURTHER AMENDED BY STRIKING OUT SALARIES AS THEY PERTAIN TO THE FOLLOWING NAMED ACCOUNTS AND INSERTING IN PLACE THEREOF THE FOLLOWING: LAW SALARIES PARALEGAL $45,000.00 TO BE OPERATIVE APRIL 1, 2014 Councilor Tillotson stated that there’s no money to be adjusted in the budget because the Mayor has reorganized his department with part-time lawyers, so there’s money in there to make this small adjustment. Motion to approve – motion passed 1 Committee vote 4 – 0 favorable. ITEM #2 ORDERED THAT the Ambulance Commission appear before the Ordinance Committee to discuss ambulance billing rates. Councilor Tillotson asked the BLS emergency rate is $372.31 does Medicare pay this. Katie Kalbaugh answered that’s the maximum that is allowed. Medicare will pay eighty percent of the bill and if a patient has a supplemental insurance it will pay the additional twenty percent, if they don’t have supplemental insurance the twenty percent is the patient’s responsibility. Councilor Tilloston asked you want to raise the current BLS to $817.00. Katie Kalbaugh stated we want to bundle it and raise it to $817.00. The oxygen is billed separately so the BLS rate would include the oxygen. Councilor Tillotson stated that’s not much of an increase. Katie Kalbaugh stated it’s a 3.7% increase for the BLS rate. Councilor Tillotson asked the ALS 1 emergency rate is $850.00 and you want to raise it to $1325.00. Katie Kalbaugh answered yes. We are bundling the ALS rate with the IV, defibrillation and the cardiac monitor. Councilor Tillotson stated the rates look a lot higher than they really are because you are bundling. Katie Kalbaugh answered yes. Councilor Tillotson asked are you bundling the ALS 2 rates. Katie Kalbaugh answered we are bundling the ALS rate with no increase and billing it as one. Councilor Labrie asked will the insurance companies dispute these bills. Katie Kalbaugh answered no, right now approximately ninety percent of the private insurance companies’ want it billed like this. According to the Affordable Care Act we will soon be asked to bill this way, it will be a flat rate for everything. We’re trying to get ahead of it so when this mandate comes down we will already be bundled. Councilor Laflamme asked who benefits with the increase. Katie Kalbaugh answered if the insured has a good plan like Blue Cross or Health New England insurance that money would come back to the City of Chicopee so the city will benefit from it not the insurance company. Jason Reed stated our rates are still below the top fifty companies. We don’t want to raise the rates like some of the other companies are doing. Councilor Lamontagne asked what the income threshold is when someone appeals to your commission. Katie Kalbaugh answered if you make under $23,340.00 you can apply for a full abatement. *The Ordinance Committee recommends the adoption of the Ambulance Commission billing rates. Committee vote 4 – 0 favorable. ITEM #3 BE IT ORDAINED by the City Council of the City of Chicopee as follows: that CHAPTER 260, as amended on February 21, 1995, be further amended by adding to/striking from the following in schedule: 2 AS FOLLOWS: 11 CHARBONNEAU TERRACE HANDICAP PARKING *A letter from Frank Czepiel, Commission on Disabled was read. Motion to approve – motion passed. Committee vote 4 – 0 favorable. Minutes – March 11, 2014. Motion made to approve. Motion passed. Meeting adjourned at 7:05 PM. 3