[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Council of the Township
of Mount Holly 9-16-2015 by Ord.
No. 2015-07. Amendments noted where applicable.]
All of the terms, provisions and statements contained within
the Whereas clauses that form a preface to this chapter are hereby
repeated and incorporated herein by reference, as if set forth at
length, and the terms of those Whereas clauses are specifically made
findings of the Township Council of Mount Holly Township.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Said clauses are included in Ord. No.
2015-7, a complete copy of which is on file in the Township Clerk's
office.
For purposes of this chapter, the following words shall have
the meanings set forth hereafter:
Emergency medical services provided by an entity licensed
to perform such services, whether such entity is a private or public
entity.
The entity that provides emergency medical services to the
residents and taxpayers of Mount Holly Township or to those individuals
passing through Mount Holly Township. At the time of the introduction
of this amendment to the Code of Mount Holly Township, the America
Emergency Squad, Inc., is serving in the capacity of the emergency
medical service provider.
Rescue services for which training is required but for which
there is no licensing required by the State of New Jersey. At the
time of the introduction of this amendment to the Mount Holly Township
Code, the America Emergency Squad, Inc., a licensed medical emergency
provider under the law, has been providing emergency rescue services
as well as the emergency medical service for which it is licensed.
Any entity identified as such provider by the Township Council
of Mount Holly Township.
Either emergency medical services or emergency rescue services.
Either a provider of emergency medical services as defined
herein or the provider of emergency rescue services as defined here.
A.Â
It is the policy of Mount Holly Township to establish standards for
and to assist in the provision of emergency medical services and emergency
rescue services to the residents, citizens and taxpayers of Mount
Holly Township and to those persons who are within Mount Holly Township
temporarily, whether for business or personal reasons or while passing
through the Township.
B.Â
The Township may implement this policy through any technique known
to be available, including but not necessarily limited to:
(1)Â
The provision of emergency medical services through agreement with
one or more properly licensed medical service providers and through
agreement with one or more properly trained emergency rescue providers;
(2)Â
Shared services or interlocal services with another municipality
or municipalities in sufficiently close proximity to provide those
services pursuant to the standards set forth herein;
(3)Â
Through competitive bidding;
(4)Â
Municipal employees of Mount Holly Township; or
(5)Â
Through any other technique available to Mount Holly Township for
the safety and well-being of persons within the Township.
C.Â
As of the date of the introduction of this chapter, Mount Holly Township's
agreement with America Emergency Squad is still in effect.
D.Â
Any for-profit or not-for-profit providers of emergency medical services
or emergency rescue services, other than those provided pursuant to
mutual aid systems in place within Burlington County, shall enter
into agreements with the Township for the provision of those services.
A.Â
Whether the Township utilizes any of the four methodologies identified in § 14-3 hereof, or if the Township utilizes a different system, the Township Council requires a third-party billing system such as the one currently in place. The purpose of such system is to assist in the funding of emergency medical services and emergency rescue services utilized within Mount Holly Township. The funds collectible and/or collected through any such third-party system are determined to be funds imbued with a public trust to be utilized exclusively for the purposes identified herein and not for the benefit of any person, entity, official, officer or member of any organization, whether the Township or any other entity fitting within the definitions of § 14-3B(1) through (4) hereof. The Township shall from time to time review the provisions of this section and make further adjustments to these provisions to effectuate the purposes identified herein. The Township shall make reasonable inquiries as set forth herein, or additional reasonable inquiries if not set forth herein, that all funds coming into the hands of the Township or any provider of emergency services are treated in the manner identified herein.
B.Â
Regardless of what model the Township chooses to provide the emergency medical and rescue services defined herein [as set forth in § 14-3B(1) through (4)] the third-party billing system must have the following attributes:
(1)Â
Persons who have health insurance to cover any emergency services
as defined herein who receive Mount Holly Township emergency medical
services and/or emergency rescue services are expected to cooperate
with said emergency service's professional billing system to
secure full payment for services rendered to the full extent that
those services are covered by insurance. It is recognized by the Township
that the breadth of services covered by insurance varies over time
and the scope of such insured services contracts and expands. It is
the purpose of this chapter that any service provided to any person
by a Mount Holly Township emergency provider shall be the subject
of an appropriate billing system, including an appropriate third-party
billing system, if permitted by law, and that all monies recovered
by that system shall be utilized in the manner set forth herein.
(2)Â
In the event the health insurance company of a taxpayer or domiciled
resident does not pay the bill in full, the third-party billing system
or the provider of the service or the Township of Mount Holly shall
accept such partial payment as payment in full, and such payment shall
be accepted as long as the payment is based upon the insured's
policy limits and deductible coinsurance requirements.
(3)Â
In the event a taxpayer or domiciled resident of the Township of
Mount Holly does not have health insurance, said resident outstanding
balance shall not be sent to a collection agency.
(4)Â
Due to the complexities of the preparation and processing of insurance
claims, interest shall not be charged on Mount Holly emergency services
billing.
(5)Â
After providing emergency services, the provider of the emergency
medical or rescue service shall transmit all pertinent billing information
to the professional medical billing service for collection. The professional
medical billing service shall be responsible for receipt of payment
and proper recordkeeping of its collections. Payments received by
the professional billing service shall, thereafter, be transmitted
electronically to a designated account of the provider of the emergency
medical and/or rescue service provider or, if the provider is the
Township, then to the Township of Mount Holly. In the event those
funds are transmitted to the Township, such funds shall be administered
by the Mount Holly Township Chief Financial Officer (CFO) under the
direction and supervision of the Township Council and be subject to
audit in a manner similar to current auditing requirements imposed
upon municipal government in the State of New Jersey. The provider
of the billing services shall prepare a reconciliation report and
shall self-monitor its operations, including billing activities and
receipt of funds.
A.Â
In the event the provision of emergency services is by a method set forth in § 14-3B, the provider of the services shall provide specific documentation to the Township. This documentation shall include:
(1)Â
An annual comprehensive activity report, sometimes commonly referred
to as a "Chief's Report," that shall provide information and
data reporting the total calls received by the emergency service provider,
the number of such calls responded to, the number of such calls not
responded to and the number of calls responded to by other providers.
The comprehensive activity report shall include average dispatch times
supported by central communications reports. Said report must report
all active members of the provider's organization, the number
of new members actively involved since the last report, current efforts
at further recruitment, the nature of recruitment goals, and all members'
current training records.
(2)Â
A copy of all policies and procedures utilized by the emergency service
provider.
(3)Â
An income statement.
(4)Â
A balance sheet.
B.Â
The reports identified in Subsection A(3) and (4) hereof shall be prepared by an independent accountant or certified CFO. The purposes for which the Township requires the submission of such reports include:
(1)Â
The need for the Township to understand the efficiencies within the
emergency service provider's operation;
(2)Â
Whether providers are meeting the standards set forth within these
provisions for responses to emergencies, arrival at the location where
the emergency services are to be performed and the frequency with
which these standards are being met. The Township's standard
on such frequency is articulated hereinbefore as 90% of the time;
(3)Â
To provide to the public at large the ability to know and understand
the use of all funds coming into the hands of nonpublic entities that
are performing public functions on behalf of Mount Holly Township;
and
(4)Â
To generally maintain the highest integrity, transparency and professionalism
in the performance of public functions.
C.Â
To effectuate this, the Township requires the annual provision to
the Township, no later than February 15 of each calendar year, of
an audit of the operations of the provider(s) prepared by an independent
firm.
All paperwork submitted pursuant to § 14-5 hereof shall be in the hands of the Township no later than February 15 of every calendar year. The reports shall cover the period of time consisting of the entire calendar year ending on December 31 immediately prior to the February 15th deadline. Reports shall be considered as submitted in a timely fashion if they are in the hands of the Municipal Clerk on or before February 15 at 4:00 p.m. In the event that February 15 falls on a weekend or other day that the Township is not open for business, the report shall be submitted no later than 4:00 p.m. on the next immediately following business day of the Township.
The Township does not have and shall not acquire the right of
management over any private emergency medical or emergency rescue
service that fits within the definition of "providers" herein. The
Township may not cause there to be hiring, firing, discipline, or
other personnel action between the provider and its employees or volunteers,
the expenditure of funds in a particular manner or other management
prerogative upon a private provider's operation. The Township's
sole remedy for nonperformance of all requirements imposed herein
upon any service provider is to terminate the contract between the
Township and the provider or otherwise not renew an annual contract
when the Township obtains information that the provider is not satisfying
the standards or obligations set forth herein, in the sole discretion
of the Township. Nothing herein shall preclude the provider of the
emergency services to request the Township to assist in effectuating
changes to the manner of operation of the provider if the provider
believes such assistance can add to the quality of the services provided
and contribute to the maintenance of the standards identified herein.
All persons needing emergency or rescue services within the
Township of Mount Holly shall be serviced, to the extent that such
services are available, without discrimination on any basis, and without
respect to residency, ability to pay, or any other factor. No person
located within Mount Holly Township at the time that either emergency
medical or rescue services are needed shall be denied available service
when such services are available.
There shall be no delay in providing available service identified
in this chapter due to any third-party billing, prior interaction
between the person needing emergency medical or rescue services and
the billing companies or the emergency service provider.
These standards have been articulated hereinbefore within the
Whereas provisions of this chapter.[1] Even though said Whereas clauses were incorporated herein
by reference, the Township Council of Mount Holly Township specifically
determines the standards of performance for all emergency medical
and emergency rescue services to be as follows:
A.Â
Emergency medical service provider's personnel must respond
to all emergency calls being placed within seven minutes of such emergency
call being dispatched. The time for arrival at the location where
the person needing emergency medical services is located shall be
within 10 minutes from the time of dispatch. These standards must
be executed by the medical service provider no less frequently than
90% of the time that there is a dispatch to provide emergency medical
services.
B.Â
All emergency calls in which this standard is not met must be documented
and listed in a detailed quarterly report to Mount Holly Township.
The detailed report will contain the reason the response did not meet
the standard, what organization provided the service and the location
of said emergency. Emergency calls in which the service provider was
already committed to another emergency within the Township of Mount
Holly will not be held against the service provider in calculating
the standard of 90%.
[1]
Editor's Note: Said clauses are included in Ord. No.
2015-7, a complete copy of which is on file in the Township Clerk's
office.
