Health Director Michael Suckau has requested Mayor Daniel M. Knapik to establish a new line item in the 2013 budget to collect insurance payments for services provided by the department’s nursing staff.
“We are hoping to establish a revolving account starting July 1 to capture revenue from insurance payments that are not now being collected,” Suckau said during the Health Board meeting last night. “We had to get Medicare certified and get a billing company contracted before we could request Mayor Knapik to add the revolving account to his 2013 budget which starts on July 1, (2012).
Suckau sent written communication to Knapik Tuesday requesting the account be established.
“People with insurance will not be charged a co-pay and people without insurance will not receive a bill,” he said.
The Health Department nursing staff provides a range of medical services, including home visits and administering shots for immunization.
“We’d like to put that money toward expanding the immunization shot programs, such as flu shots,” Suckau said. “The state has been cutting back on funding for vaccinations. We could order the vaccine from this account, charge insurance companies and put the money back into the account.”
Suckau said the revolving account could provide vaccines which the insurance companies do not cover in most cases and many physicians do not provide, such as the shingles vaccine.
“We also plan to use the money for the sharps (needles and flechettes) collection kiosk and to step up our community outreach and education programs,” he said.
The establishment of revolving accounts has become a hot button issue with some City Council members who are concerned that money already coming into the city coffers is being redirected away from the general fund.
Those councilors have voiced a preference for revolving accounts that capture new revenue.
