The policy of the Board of Selectmen is to collect all receivables as generated by the Duxbury Fire Department ambulance with the exception of cases where payment would create a severe financial hardship.  It is with this intent that the following policy guidelines are established.

1. New England Medical Billing (our ambulance billing company) issues an invoice to the patient which covers the cost of the ambulance transport.  The reverse side of this invoice asks for insurance information to be provided by the patient.  New England Medical Billing would then bill the insurance company.  If no insurance information is provided, the patient is responsible for payment of the bill unless payment will create a financial hardship*.

2. If there is no response to the first bill, a second bill is sent after 30 days with a heading marked “Account is Past Due”.

3. If there is no response to the second bill, a third bill is sent with a heading marked “Account is Seriously Past Due”.

4. If there is still no response, the fourth bill would inform the patient that their past-due account would be sent to a credit bureau. In actuality, a credit bureau would not be involved until after step 6 was taken.

5. New England Medical Billing will then make a phone call to the responsible party requesting payment.

6. If the bill remains unpaid after the phone call, denial of Town privileges would be enforced.  This individual would not be able to obtain a beach sticker, transfer station sticker, building permit, burning permits, etc.

7. As a last resort, if no financial hardship is involved, the overdue bill would be reported to the credit bureau.

*Included on each invoice would be a table of the current Hill-Burton Poverty Guidelines and a questionnaire requesting family size and income.  If the family income falls within the Hill-Burton guidelines, this information would be provided on the form and then signed, under penalty of perjury, by the patient.  The charge could then be abated by the Town Manager.  Whenever overdue invoices are sent to a credit bureau, New England Medical Billing will supply the Town with a list of the names and amounts involved.