Billy Rathel

Grady EMS Director Billy Rathel was not on duty at the time of the call, but said medics who came in told him the scene could have been a "really bad" call.

Previously, Grady EMS Director Billy Rathel said, the department did its billing in-house using software but has not garnered the best results.Its collection rate in 2006 was 12.27 percent and 23.87 ($831,982) percent in 2007.

"We're not garnering the funds we probably can in our billing procedures we are doing now," he said Tuesday."I used this company at the service I worked at before coming here.Our success in billing went way up.I'd like to try this for a year or so to see how billing can improve."

Rathel said the group has the manpower to stay on top of regulations updates for Medicare/Medicaid, an area that needs attention in Grady County.

He said, by the time he left the other service, collections were about 70 percent, "which is about as good as you can do with Medicare/Medicaid."
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"We have to collect from the ones we can to offset the ones we can't collect," Rathel said.
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Rathel said Thursday he is looking forward to the change.

"We'll do the percentage option for six months, then decide if we want to continue with it or go to a charge per ticket," he said.

(Teresa Williams/Times-Enterprise) Grady EMS Staff (left to right) Michael Duke, Tony Williams and Donna Folsom use EMS Director Billy Rathel to demonstrate the proper way to strap down and load a patient.
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"I was surprised, even though I knew my staff deserved it," EMS Director Billy Rathel said Tuesday.
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Rathel, who took over as director in May 2007, said services are nominated for their work within their communities, such as helping public health, responding to calls, teaching CPR classes and visiting schools.
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Williams feels, under the direction of Rathel, Grady EMS is headed in the right direction.

The Grady County Board of Commissioners approved a request by EMS Director William Rathel to increase rates for several services at its Tuesday meeting.

"The current rates have been the same for at least the last five years," said Rathel."There are a $350 base and a $7 per mile charges.These proposed increases would still be within Medicaid/Medicare allowable charges."

Rathel checked with surrounding counties and suggested the following rates: $8.50 a mile for mileage (loaded), $350 base for Basic Life Support (BLS) non-emergency, $400 base for BLS emergency, $500 base for Advanced Life Support (ALS) emergency, $600 base for ALS II and $700 for Specialty Care Transport (SCT).

There is also a new $35 base charge for oxygen.

"We've never charged for it before but we can," explained Rathel."It is an acceptable charge."

Chairman Charles Norton asked for the collection percentage on Medicaid and Rathel replied it was 17.6 percent.
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Rathel responded that it would get more percentage wise because there would be slightly more in revenues.
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Rathel said sometimes a claim is denied because the call was not an emergency.

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EMS Director Billy Rathel said his crews do practice fuel conservation and utilize their kitchen.

"We don't go all over town taking care of personal business," he said.