Carmel_Fire_EMS_Billing_Services.pdf

CITY OF CARMEL

PROJECT MANUAL & PROPOSAL

PACKAGE

Carmel Fire EMS Billing Services

Project No. CFD-01-2025

HAMILTON COUNTY, INDIANA

City of Carmel Fire

One Civic Square

Carmel, Indiana 46032

Office: (317) 571 - 2441

Thursday, July 31, 2025

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

2. INSTRUCTIONS TO VENDORS

3. TERMS AND CONDITIONS

4. QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS

5. SCOPE OF WORK

6. SELECTION CRITERIA

7. VENDOR SUBMISSIONS

8. ATTACHMENTS

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

City of Carmel, Indiana

Department:

Fire 210 Veterans WayCity of Carmel, Indiana 46032

Project: Carmel Fire EMS Billing Services

Notice is hereby given that the City of Carmel Fire Department is requesting proposals for Carmel Fire EMS Billing Services, during regular business hours, up to, but not later than 3:00 pm local time Friday, August 29, 2025 via the City's e-

Procurement Portal at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/carmelin. No late proposals will be accepted.

This request is for proposals from vendors with expertise and experience in local government emergency medical service revenue cycle to include billing, coding, accounts receivable, reimbursement, and compliance services. The City intends to select a single provider to provide all the services outlined in this request.

Proposals will be opened by Carmel Board of Public Works and Safety at the meeting starting at 10:00 am on Friday, August

29, 2025 on the 2nd floor of Carmel City Hall, One Civic Square, Carmel, IN.

The specifications are attached and set forth in detailed documents on file via the City's e-Procurement Portal at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/carmelin.

Questions regarding this solicitation must be submitted to the portal prior to 2:00 pm on Thursday, August 7, 2025. All questions and responses will be publicly posted to the portal.

No proposer may withdraw any proposal within a period of thirty (30) days following the date set for receiving proposals. The

City of Carmel reserves the right to hold any or all proposals for a period of not more than thirty (30) days and said proposals shall remain in full force and effect during said period. The City of Carmel reserves the right to reject all proposals or cancel this solicitation in whole or in part as specified in the solicitation when it is not in the best interests of the governmental body as determined by the purchasing agency in accordance with IC 5-22-18-2.

Contract will be awarded to the lowest responsive and responsible offeror.

https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/carmelin

INSTRUCTIONS TO VENDORS

1. DEFINITION OF KEY WORDS USED IN THE SOLICITATION

For purposes of this solicitation and subsequent contract, the following definitions shall apply:

City: The City of Carmel, IN

Contract: The legal agreement(s) executed between City and the Successful Vendor(s). The Contract will include all the conditions and requirements set forth in this solicitation and any Addenda to the solicitation. If for a Request for Proposal, any Special Terms and Conditions and standard terms and conditions contained in the sample Agreement attached to this solicitation, and all the terms of the response submitted by Vendor as finally negotiated and accepted by the City.

Contractor/Consultant: A Successful Vendor that enters into a Contract with the City.

Contract Representative: The City employee or employees who have specifically been designated to act as a contact person or persons to the Contractor, and is responsible for monitoring and overseeing the Contractor's performance under this Contract.

Board of Public Works and Safety: The purchasing agency for the City authorized to execute contracts and addenda thereto on the City's behalf.

May: Indicates something that is not mandatory but permissible.

Vendor: Each individual or entity that submits a response to this solicitation.

Will: The indicated party is promising to take the action or abide by the condition.

Must: The action or condition is required.

Should: Indicates something that is recommended but not mandatory. If the Vendor fails to provide recommended information, the City may, at its sole option, ask the Vendor to provide the information or evaluate the response without the information.

Portal: The City's eProcurement portal, OpenGov, located at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/carmelin.

2. PRE-SUBMITTAL MEETING

If one is scheduled, a Pre-Submittal Meeting will be held at the date and time stated in the timeline of this solicitation. Attendance at this meeting is not mandatory, but written minutes and/or notes regarding the meeting will NOT be provided, so attendance is encouraged. The purpose of this meeting will be to clarify the contents of this solicitation in order to prevent any misunderstanding of the City's position.

3. INQUIRIES

Vendors must submit questions by the Question Submission Deadline. Telephone inquiries will not be accepted.

The City will respond as completely as possible to each question. If necessary, questions and answers will be posted as soon as available. The names of Vendors who submit questions will not be disclosed. All clarifications will be available in the Question and Answer and Addenda Sections in the portal, only the information in these sections should be used in preparing a response; verbal communications and other written documents intended to clarify and interpret will not legally bind the City. The City does not assume responsibility for the receipt of any clarifying information. Vendors must periodically check for updates.

4. ADDENDA TO REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS / QUALIFICATIONS

Solicitation Addenda, if any, will be posted to the project on the City’s portal. Vendor is responsible for checking the portal regularly for new solicitation addenda and must acknowledge each addenda to this solicitation in its response. Please note that vendors who have registered as a vendor at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/carmelin and follow the project will receive email notifications of solicitation addenda.

5. UNDERSTANDING SCOPE OF SOLICITATION

If the solicitation is a Request for Proposals, before submitting a response to this solicitation, Vendor must familiarize itself with the Scope of the Solicitation, laws, regulations, physical conditions, and other factors affecting the obligations – including the expense and difficulty of fulfilling those obligations – that Vendor will have under the Contract if awarded to Vendor. No adjustment to the financial or other terms of the Contract will be justified by Vendor's failure to fully understand or appreciate the Contract requirements or other factors affecting Contract performance.

If the solicitation is a Request for Qualifications ("RFQ"), before submitting a response to this solicitation, Vendor must familiarize itself with the Scope of the Solicitation, laws, regulations, physical conditions, and other factors affecting the obligations – including the expense and difficulty of fulfilling those obligations – that

Vendor will have under the terms and conditions of this RFQ. No adjustment to the financial or other terms of this RFQ will be justified by Vendor's failure to fully understand or appreciate the RFQ requirements.

6. PREPARATION OF RESPONSE

A. Form and Organization. Vendor's response must be on the forms provided in this solicitation (as applicable) or through the portal. Supporting documentation must be arranged in a manner that follows and clearly refers to corresponding sections of the solicitation. Vendor may copy the response forms in order to complete them electronically but may not alter or rearrange them or change any paragraph designations.

B. Confidential Proprietary Information. Any proprietary information, such as financial statement, intellectual property, or business performance information, in its response that Vendor wishes to be treated as confidential must be clearly marked “CONFIDENTIAL.” Please note that unless specifically indicated, answers to the Vendor questionnaire are not considered confidential information and will be available for public review.

C. Response Contents. Vendor must complete all the forms contained in and respond to all sections of the solicitation. Vendor must attach any requested supporting documentation.

D. Signatures. Any cover letter accompanying the response documents must be signed. The person electronically signing and initialing on behalf of Vendor must be a person authorized to legally bind

Vendor.

E. Prices. Where a unit price is provided it will govern over any erroneous extension of the price.

F. Time Periods. Periods of time, stated as a number of days, will be calendar days unless specifically stated otherwise.

G. Accuracy. Mistakes in preparation of its response confers on Vendor no right to modify or withdraw its response after the Submittal Deadline.

H. Cost of Preparation. The City will not reimburse Vendor for the cost of developing, presenting, submitting or providing any response to this solicitation.

I. Subcontractors. Vendor must, in their response, list any subcontractors that it will utilize in the performance of the Contract if they are awarded the Contract and must describe their qualifications in detail.

J. Incomplete Information. Failure to include all requested information may deem Vendor's response unresponsive.

7. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Each Vendor must carefully examine all solicitation documents and become thoroughly familiar with all requirements prior to responding to ensure the response meets the intent of this solicitation.

Vendor is responsible for making all investigations and examinations that are necessary to ascertain conditions affecting the requirements of this solicitation. Failure to make such investigations and examinations will not relieve the Vendor from obligation to comply, in every detail, with all provisions and requirements of the solicitation.

Responses must be in PDF or Excel format ONLY. Other formats uploaded may be deemed non-responsive.

Responses may be submitted any time prior to the Submission Deadline. Vendors may modify responses that have already been submitted, before the Submission Deadline. Recording of response submission time and date will occur via the portal. To satisfy any required public opening, the Vendor list is made available in the portal after the Submission Deadline.

8. PAYMENT DISCOUNTS

Payment discount periods shall be computed from the date of receipt of the material/service or correct invoice, whichever is later, to the date City’s payment warrant is mailed. Unless freight and other charges are itemized, any discount provided shall be taken on full amount of invoice. Payment discounts of twenty-one calendar days or more shall be deducted from the proposed price in determining the price points. However, the City shall be entitled to take advantage of any payment discount offered by a vendor provided payment is made within the discount period. The payment discount shall apply to all purchases and to all payment methods.

9. TAXES

The City is exempt from federal excise tax, including the federal transportation tax. The City is exempt from sales tax.

10. RESPONSE SUBMITTAL FORMAT

A response should be submitted on the forms and in the format specified in this solicitation and these instructions.

11. PUBLIC RECORD

The information supplied by the Vendor as part of this solicitation will become part of the City. Except as set forth below with respect to Confidential Information, submitted responses to the solicitation will be available to interested parties in accordance with the Indiana Access to Public Records Act (IC 5-14-3).

12. CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

The City is obligated to abide by the Access to Public Records Act (APRA), Indiana Code 5-14-3. If Vendor believes that any portion of its response contains information that is confidential and subject to being withheld from disclosure under APRA, Vendor must, when the record is submitted, provide the City written notification of that fact. The records or portions of records that Vendor wishes to be treated as confidential must also be clearly marked “CONFIDENTIAL” on their face. Pricing will not be treated as confidential. Please note that unless specifically indicated, answers to the solicitation questionnaire are not considered confidential information and will be available for public review.

If the City, after award notification, receives a public-records request to which a Contractor record marked

“CONFIDENTIAL” is responsive, City will notify Vendor in writing. Unless Vendor, within 10 days after the date of that notice, obtains and provides to City an order from a court of competent jurisdiction prohibiting the

City from releasing the records, the City may release the records without any liability to Vendor.

13. CERTIFICATION OF NONCOLLUSION; CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

By submitting a response, Vendor warrants that:

A. Preparation and submission of the response did not involve collusion or other anti-competitive practices.

B. Vendor has not given, offered to give, nor intends to give at any time hereafter, any economic opportunity, future employment, gift, loan, gratuity, special discount, trip, favor, meal or service to a public servant in connection with this solicitation.

C. No person has been employed or retained to solicit or secure a Contract under this solicitation upon a promise of a commission, percentage, brokerage, or contingent fee.

D. No member of the City, Mayor and Council or any employee of the City involved in this solicitation process has any financial interest in Vendor's entity.

The City may disqualify Vendor from further participation in the solicitation process if the City determines that

Vendor has an actual or apparent conflict of interest or has engaged in any collusion or anti-competitive practices.

14. WHEN AND HOW TO SUBMIT RESPONSES

In order to be considered, Vendor must, no later than the Submittal Deadline, submit its response electronically through the portal at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/carmelin.

NOTE: THE ENTIRE RESPONSE MUST BE IN "SUBMITTED" STATUS IN THE PORTAL IN ORDER

TO BE CONSIDERED. RESPONSES THAT HAVE BEEN DRAFTED IN THE SYSTEM, BUT THAT ARE

NOT IN "SUBMITTED" STATUS BY THE SUBMITTAL DEADLINE WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.

15. RESPONSE AND ACCEPTANCE PERIOD

In order to allow for an adequate evaluation, the City requires a response to this solicitation to be valid and irrevocable for ninety (90) days after the solicitation due date and time.

16. WITHDRAWAL OF RESPONSE; BINDING RESPONSE

By submitting a response to this solicitation, Vendor is offering to enter into the Contract with the City. Vendor may withdraw a submitted response at any time prior to the Submittal Deadline. Responses can be withdrawn by clicking "unsubmit response" in the portal.

17. DISCUSSIONS/CLARIFICATIONS

After opening responses, the City may, at its discretion, conduct discussions with Vendor for the purpose of eliminating minor irregularities, informalities, or apparent clerical mistakes in Vendor's response in order to clarify the response and assure full understanding of, and responsiveness to, solicitation requirements.

18. VENDOR REGISTRATION

In order to be eligible for award of a Contract, Vendor must:

A. Register for the portal with the City’s Finance Department as a vendor. Registration can be completed at https://www.carmel.in.gov/government/clerk-of-the-city/bid-opportunities by clicking on View

Procurement Portal and signing up. Please note that email notifications of newly published solicitations and addenda will be provided to those vendors that opt in to receive notifications.

19. UPON NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD

If the solicitation is a Request for Proposals, the apparent successful Vendor shall sign and file with the City, within five (5) days after Notice of Intent to Award, all documents necessary to the successful execution of the

Contract.

20. AWARD OF CONTRACT

If this solicitation is a Request for Proposals, notwithstanding any other provision of the Request for Proposals, the City reserves the right to award based on whose proposal is determined to be the most advantageous to the

City, considering the criteria set forth in the solicitation. The award may be based on factors such as price, quality, qualifications, experience, and the ability to meet project requirements. The City reserves the right to:

A. waive any immaterial defect or informality; or

B. reject all Proposals; or

C. cancel the solicitation and reissue the Request for Proposals.

A response to this Request for Proposals is an offer to contract with the City based upon the terms, conditions and Scope of the Solicitation contained in the City's Request for Proposals, any issued Addenda, and standard terms and conditions contained in the attached sample Agreement. Responses do not become contracts unless and until they are executed by the City's Board of Public Works and Safety or an authorized entity within the

City.

https://www.carmel.in.gov/government/clerk-of-the-city/bid-opportunities

21. SOLICITATION RESULTS

If this solicitation is a Request for Proposals, the name(s) of the successful Proposer(s) will be posted on the

City's portal at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/carmelin upon issuance of a Notice of Intent to Award or upon final contract execution.

If this solicitation is a Request for Qualifications, a list of the Vendor(s) who were shortlisted will be posted on the City's portal at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/carmelin after the qualifications are evaluated.

22. PROTESTS

If this solicitation is a Request for Proposals, a protest shall be in writing and shall be filed with the Board of

Public Works and Safety. A protest of a solicitation shall be received at the Board of Public Works and Safety not less than five (5) working days before the solicitation due date. A protest of a proposed award or of an award shall be filed within ten (10) days after issuance of notification of award or issuance of a notice of intent to award, as applicable. A protest shall include:

A. The name, address, and telephone number of the protestant;

B. The signature of the protestant or its representative;

C. Identification of the solicitation or Contract number;

D. A detailed statement of the legal and factual grounds of protest including copies of relevant documents;

and

E. The form of relief requested.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

1. STANDARD TERMS AND CONDITIONS

A. The City reserves the right to (1) accept or reject any and all proposals and to waive any technicalities or irregularities involving any proposal and to cancel the Request for Proposal ("RFP") process at any time prior to entering into a formal contract, (2) not award a contract for any or all of the specified services that are the subject of this RFP process, (3) award contracts for the specified services to separate contractors, (4) negotiate contract terms acceptable to the City with the successful Vendor(s), (5) disregard all nonconforming, non-responsive or conditional proposals, and (6) reject the response of any

Vendor which does not submit a proposal to the City’s satisfaction.

B. Respondents to this RFP may be requested to provide supplemental information or to make a presentation in addition to their proposal. The City reserves the right to request additional information and/or presentations from any organization. Additional information may be presented in writing during a pre-selection interview if one is conducted.

C. The obligation and the performance of the Vendor to whom the Contract is awarded shall be subject to compliance with the provisions of Indiana Code 5-13 and all other applicable laws, rules, regulations, and local ordinances.

D. If a successful Vendor does not execute a contract within thirty (30) calendar days after the award, the

City may give notice to such Vendor of intent to award the contract to the next most qualified Vendor or to call for new proposals and may proceed to act accordingly. The City assumes no cost by the Vendor in preparation, submission or presentation of their proposal.

E. All proposals shall be guaranteed for the entire duration of the contract. It is the intention of the City to engage the Vendor for a one year term with optional extensions of two consecutive, one year extensions..

F. The City reserves the right to terminate with 90-days written notice any contract arising from this RFP.

Furthermore, the City may terminate the contract without prior written notice upon the failure of the successful Vendor to comply with the terms and conditions of the proposal. Under no circumstances will any damages be paid by the City because of the termination of this contract.

G. The successful Vendor agrees that it will charge only for goods and/or services contained in the proposal or negotiated with the City. Goods and/or services not contained in the proposal will not be rendered or charged without the prior written consent of the City.

H. Sub-contracting by the Vendor without written consent of the City is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the RFP or the City.

I. Vendor will give the City, or its authorized representative, the privilege of inspecting, examining, and auditing, with or without notice, during normal business hours, such business records which are directly relevant to any financial arrangement arising from this RFP.

J. The successful Vendor shall agree to hold the City harmless from any claims and related expenses arising from your employees or agents providing the services agreed upon and arising from this process.

This includes but is not limited to property damage, bodily injury, personal injury to third parties, and damage to premises of the City. Resolution of any disputes arising from this process will be subject to and conducted in accordance with the laws of the State of Indiana.

K. All proposals and related reference information submitted in response to this RFP will become the property of the City and will not be returned to the respondent. Each entity submitting a proposal waives any right of confidentiality as to the proposal documents. If an entity submitting a proposal considers certain material in the proposal confidential proprietary information, it shall clearly designate those portions of the proposal it wishes to remain confidential. As a public entity, the City is subject to making records available for public disclosure. The City will attempt to maintain the confidentiality of material marked proprietary; however, it cannot guarantee that information will not be made public if required to be disclosed pursuant to the Access to Public Records Act (APRA), Indiana Code 5-14-3 or an order of the court of competent jurisdiction.

2. DATA AND INFORMATION PROTECTION

A. Definitions. Capitalized terms used in this Section shall have the meanings set forth, below:

"Authorized Persons" means (i) the Vendor's employees; and (ii) the Vendor's subcontractors and agents who have a need to know or otherwise access Personal Information to enable the Vendor to perform its obligations under this Addendum and the Agreement, and who are bound in writing by confidentiality and other obligations sufficient to protect Personal Information in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Addendum and the Agreement.

"Highly Sensitive Personal Information" means an (i) individual's government-issued identification number

(including Social Security number, driver's license number, or state-issued identification number); (ii) financial account number, credit card number, debit card number, or credit report information, with or without any required security code, access code, personal identification number, or password that would permit access to an individual's financial account; or

(iii) biometric, genetic, health, medical, or medical insurance data.

"Personal Information" means information provided to the Vendor by or at the direction of the City, information which is created or obtained by the Vendor on behalf of the City, or information to which access was provided to the Vendor by or at the direction of the City, in the course of the

Vendor's performance under this Addendum and the Agreement that: (i) identifies or can be used to identify an individual (including, without limitation, names, signatures, addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, and other unique identifiers); or

(ii) can be used to authenticate an individual (including, without limitation, employee identification numbers, government-issued identification numbers, passwords or PINs, user identification and account access credentials or passwords, financial account numbers, credit report information, student information, biometric, health, genetic, medical, or medical insurance data, answers to security questions, and other personal identifiers), in case of both subclauses (i) and

(ii), including, without limitation, all Highly Sensitive Personal

Information.

"Security Breach" means (i) any act or omission that compromises either the security, confidentiality, or integrity of Personal Information or the physical, technical, administrative, or organizational safeguards put in place by the Vendor or any Authorized Persons, or by the City should the

Vendor have access to the City's systems, that relate to the protection of the security, confidentiality, or integrity of Personal Information, or (ii) receipt of a complaint in relation to the privacy and data security practices of the

Vendor or any Authorized Persons or a breach or alleged breach of this Addendum and/or Agreement relating to such privacy and data security practices. Without limiting the foregoing, a compromise shall include any unauthorized access to or disclosure or acquisition of Personal Information.

B. Standard of Care:

i. Vendor acknowledges and agrees that, during the term of the Agreement, Vendor may create, receive, or have access to Personal Information. For any Personal Information, Vendor shall comply with this Section in its creation, collection, receipt, transmission, storage, disposal, use, and disclosure of such Personal Information and be responsible for any unauthorized creation, collection, receipt, transmission, access, storage, disposal, use, or disclosure of Personal Information under its control or in its possession by all Authorized Persons.

Vendor shall be responsible for, and remain liable to, the City for the actions and omissions of all Authorized

Persons concerning the treatment of Personal Information.

ii. Personal Information is deemed to be Confidential Information of the City and is not Confidential

Information of Vendor.

iii. Vendor agrees and covenants that it shall:

iv. Keep and maintain all Personal Information in strict confidence, using such degree of care as is appropriate to avoid unauthorized access, use, or disclosure;

a. Not create, collect, receive, access, or use Personal Information in violation of law;

b. Use and disclose Personal Information solely and exclusively for the purposes for which the Personal

Information, or access to it, is provided pursuant to the terms and conditions of this Addendum and the

Agreement, and not use, sell, rent, transfer, distribute, or otherwise disclose or make available Personal

Information for Vendor's own purposes or for the benefit of anyone other than the City, in each case, without the City's prior written consent; and

c. Not directly or indirectly, disclose Personal Information to any person other than Authorized Persons, without the City's prior written consent.

v. Vendor shall implement and maintain a written information security program, including appropriate policies, procedures, and risk assessments.

vi. At a minimum, Vendor's safeguards for the protection of Personal Information shall include:

i. limiting access of Personal Information to Authorized Persons; (ii) securing business facilities, data centers, paper files, servers, backup systems, and computing equipment, including, but not limited to, all mobile devices and other equipment with information storage capability; (iii) implementing network, application, database, and platform security; (iv) securing information transmission, storage, and disposal;

(v) implementing authentication and access controls within media, applications, operating systems, and equipment; (vi) encrypting Highly Sensitive Personal Information stored on any media; (vii) encrypting

Highly Sensitive Personal Information transmitted over public or wireless networks; (viii) strictly segregating Personal Information from information of Vendor or its other customers so that Personal Information is not commingled with any other types of information; (ix) conducting risk assessments, penetration testing, and vulnerability scans and promptly implementing, at

Vendor's sole cost and expense, a corrective action plan to correct any issues that are reported as a result of the testing; (x) implementing appropriate personnel security and integrity procedures and practices, including, but not limited to, conducting background checks consistent with applicable law; and (xi) providing appropriate privacy and information security training to Authorized Persons.

C. Security Breach. Vendor shall:

i. Notify the City of a Security Breach as soon as practicable, but no later than 48 hours after the Vendor becomes aware of it.

ii. Vendor agrees shall make available all relevant records, logs, files, data reporting, and other materials required to comply with applicable law, regulation, or industry standards.

iii. Vendor shall, at its own expense, use best efforts to immediately contain and remedy any Security Breach and prevent any further Security Breach, including, but not limited to taking any and all action necessary to comply with applicable privacy rights, laws, regulations, and standards.

Vendor shall reimburse the City for all actual costs incurred by the City in responding to, and mitigating damages caused by any Security Breach, including all costs of notice and/or remediation.

iv. Vendor agrees to maintain and preserve all documents, records, and other data related to any Security

Breach.

v. Vendor agrees to fully cooperate, at its own expense, with the City in any litigation, investigation, or other action deemed necessary by the City to protect its rights relating to the use, disclosure, protection, and maintenance of Personal Information.

D. Return or Destruction of Personal Information. At any time during the term of the Agreement, at the

City's written request or upon the termination or expiration of the

Agreement for any reason, Vendor shall, and shall instruct all Authorized Persons to, promptly return to the City all copies, whether in written, electronic, or other form or media, of Personal Information in its possession or the possession of such Authorized Persons, or securely dispose of all such copies, and certify in writing to the City that such

Personal Information has been returned to the City or disposed of securely. Vendor shall comply with all directions provided by the City with respect to the return or disposal of

Personal Information.

E. Cyber Liability Insurance. Vendor shall maintain cyber liability insurance coverage of not less than

$1,000,000 each claim and annual aggregate providing coverage for damages and claims expenses, including notification expenses, arising from (1) breach of network security, (2) alteration, corruption, destruction or deletion of information stored or processed on a computer system, (3)invasion of privacy, including identity theft and unauthorized transmission or publication of personal information, (4) unauthorized access and use of computer systems, including hackers (5) the transmission of malicious code, and (6) website content, including claims of libel, slander, trade libel, defamation, infringement of copyright, trademark and trade dress and invasion of privacy.

QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS

The applicant must provide the following information to be considered:

Prospective vendors must demonstrate 10+ years of experience providing end-to-end EMS billing services for municipal fire departments, automated claim scrubbing and payment posting. Mandatory certifications include SOC 2 Type II compliance for data security, CACO/CAPO credentials for staff to ensure adherence to HIPAA, FDCPA, and Indiana Code § 16-31-7, and NAAC certification for denial management teams.

SCOPE OF WORK

1. SCOPE OF WORK

Summary

The City of Carmel, Indiana is seeking proposals for outsourced Fire EMS Billing and Pre-Litigation Collection

Services. This initiative is aimed at replacing in-house EMS billing services. Our objective is to reduce overhead costs while enhancing the pre-litigation collection percentage of accounts receivable and previously designated claims as write-offs. The selected vendor will be required to demonstrate a successful track record in

EMS billing, compliance with healthcare regulations, and the ability to maximize revenue collection for municipal services.

Detailed Specifications

The service specifications shall include but is not limited to, the following requirements:

A. Regulatory Compliance and Standards o Compliance with Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regulations.

o Adherence to Federal and State guidelines regarding Emergency Medical Services billing and collections.

o CACO/CAPO certification to ensure adherence to all regulatory guidance for EMS billing.

o National Academy of Ambulance Compliance (NAAC) certifications for staff handling coding and denial appeals

▪ Must display ability to adhere to IC 16-31-7, governing EMS fee structures.

o Implementation of coding standards aligned with the American Medical Association (AMA) guidelines.

o Follow industry best practices for revenue cycle management.

B. Billing Procedures o Automated submission of claims to applicable insurance providers and third-party payers.

o Direct import capabilities from CAD systems and electornic patient care reporting (ePCR) tools like

ImageTrend, reducing manual entry errors.

o Capability to process both electronic and paper claims efficiently.

o Implementation of accurate and timely billing cycles without delays.

o Timely partnership with local hospital providers to obtain up-to-date patient contact and insurance information.

C. Pre-Litigation Collections Services o Utilization of proven collection strategies to improve the collection rates on accounts receivable.

▪ Revenue Recovery Improvements: Documentation of increasing net collection rates ≥ 15% for clients through optimized denial management.

▪ Sliding scale Indigent Care Policies: Experience administering fee waivers aligned with municipal financial assistance programs to avoid inequitable billing practices.

o Engagement in proactive follow-up for outstanding payments, including telephone calls and written correspondence.

o Employing debt recovery methods that comply with the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act

(FDCPA).

o Denial Management and Appeals Expertise: machine learning models flagging documentation gaps before submission, reducing rejection rates o Payer-specific workflows: customized follow-up protocols for major insurers like Anthem BCBS and Medicaid, informed by historical denial patterns.

o Engagement in lawful skip tracing best practices to obtain current contact information with outstanding bills.

D. Reporting and Analytics o Regularly scheduled reports detailing collection rates, outstanding receivables, and trends in unpaid claims.

o Customized reports tailored to the City of Carmel’s specific needs, including comparisons against historical data.

o Real-time access to billing and collection status through a secure online portal.

▪ Web-based dashboards tracking metrics such as days in Accounts Receivable (AR), clean claim rates, and payer specific denial trends.

o Annual third-party audits verifying compliance with CMS billing guidelines and Medicaid/Medicare reimbursement rules.

o Provide timely recommendations and updates on what accounts need to be submitted for collection through litigation.

o Liaise with the City of Carmel’s legal counsel to provide any requested information to assist with any phase of litigation.

E. Customer Service o Dedicated client support with trained personnel available for inquiries from city officials and residents.

o Provision of conflict resolution services to address billing disputes and resident inquiries effectively.

▪ Flexible Payment Plans: Tiered options for self-pay balances (e.g. 6/12/18-month terms) with no accruing interest.

F. SLA Compliance o Maintain a Service Level Agreement (SLA) with clearly defined performance metrics.

o Agreement on response times for customer support issues and resolution timelines for billing discrepancies.

Service Requirements

The successful bidder must provide the following services:

A. Implementation of Services o Conduct a comprehensive review of the existing billing processes performed by current employees.

o Develop a transition plan for the takeover of billing and collection services to minimize disruption.

o Ensure an efficient data migration process for all existing accounts receivable records.

B. Training and Support o Provide training for city staff on the new billing system and procedures.

o Offer ongoing support and resources for system utilization.

C. Performance Monitoring o Regular performance evaluations based on agreed-upon KPIs such as collection rates, outstanding balances, and service response times.

o Maintain open lines of communication with city management to ensure alignment with service expectations and goals.

Transparent Cost Structure

• Vendors must provide all disclosures of percentage-of-collections pricing methodologies, with no hidden fees for software licensing or data migration.

• Must have established set percentages for insured and self-pay individuals.

• Disclosure of all pass-through costs, including postage for patient statements and credit card processing fees.

References and Performance Guarantees

• Client References: Contact information for five fire departments of comparable size, with verifiable collection rates and integration timelines

Preferred Service-Level Agreements (SLAs)

Metric Target Penalty for Non-Compliance

Claim Submission Timing 95% in 48 hrs $500 per incident exceeding threshold

Denial Appeal Resolution 75% in 5 days 1% reduction in monthly fee for each % under

Patient Dispute Response 72 hrs $100 per unresolved dispute after 96 hrs

Delivery Requirements

Bidders must meet the following delivery requirements:

A. Project Timeline o Submit a detailed project timeline that outlines the phases of implementation, from the initial assessment to full operational capability.

o Vendor must be subject to but not limited to the following:

▪ Must include mock data migration to validate compatibility.

▪ Live walkthroughs of denial appeal workflows and patient portal interfaces.

o Clearly state the expected time frames for billing system integration, data migration, and go-live date.

B. Data Security and Privacy o Implement necessary security measures to safeguard sensitive resident and patient information.

o Compliance with all local, state, and federal regulations regarding data privacy.

o SOC 2 compliance and encryption standards, HIPAA-compliant patient privacy controls.

C. Ongoing Service Updates o Quarterly Business Reviews

▪ Provide regular updates on the status of collections and any significant changes in the billing landscape that might impact strategies.

o Maintain ongoing dialogue throughout the duration of the contract to refresh best practices and review performance metrics.

o Dedicated account manager available for urgent issues ( e.g. data breaches, system outages) within

1-hour response SLA.

o Virtual presentations covering performance metrics, denial trends, and regulatory updates.

Conclusion

The City of Carmel is committed to enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of its Fire EMS Billing and

Collection Services. By transitioning to an outsourced model that meets the specifications outlined above, we aim to improve service delivery, reduce operational costs, and increase revenue recovery from EMS services.

Proposals must clearly demonstrate the bidder’s understanding of the requirements, approach to implementing these services, and capability to fulfill these needs as defined in this scope of work.

2. Specifications

In addition to the specifications in this section, please reference the ATTACHMENTS for any additional specifications.

https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/carmelin/projects/150780/document?section=1365899

SELECTION CRITERIA

Submitted Responses will be judged on the following evaluation criteria

No. Evaluation Criteria Scoring Method Weight (Points)

1. Experience and References

Contractor demonstrates expertise and practical experience per industry standards. Acceptable certifications, industry ratings, and achievement recognition provided and align with the work requested.

Collection Rate History, Staff certifications

(CACCO/CAPO-credentials), Client

References

0-5 Points 25 (25% of Total)

2. Qualifications of Vendor

Strength and stability of the vendor; technical competence of vendor and key personnel; logic of project organization; adequacy of labor commitment

Contractor demonstrates effective approach and methodology to achieving project objectives and demonstrates a clear understanding of the tasks to be undertaken in this Solicitation.

0-5 Points 30 (30% of Total)

3. Cost Proposal

Demonstrated ability to deliver services at a reasonable cost and all elements of cost detail breakdown are provided.

Please include your collection percentage rate of current clients.

0-5 Points 35 (35% of Total)

4. Completeness of Response

Ability to meet the Scope of Services and maximize revenue. Completeness of response in accordance with RFP instructions;

exceptions to or deviations from the RFP requirements; inclusion of required features.

0-5 Points 10 (10% of Total)

VENDOR SUBMISSIONS

1. I certify that I, the individual responding to this RFP, am an authorized representative with the authority to certify and submit the following legally binding statements in this Proposal on behalf of my company.*

☐ Please confirm

*Response required

2. Authorized representative contact info:*

Please include the name, title, phone and email of the authorized representative

*Response required

3. Please upload your proposal here (WITHOUT COST)*

*Response required

4. Cost Proposal*

*Response required

5. Non-Collusion Affidavit*

Please download the below documents, complete and have notarized. An online notarization option will be provided for you when responding.

• Non-Collusion_Affidavit.pdf

*Response required https://government-project.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/126738/cc58e012-6208-4c4c-a24b-ee6c0092cb12_Non-Collusion_Affidavit.pdf?X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Content-Sha256=UNSIGNED-PAYLOAD&X-Amz-Credential=ASIA47RIURE4CG42ZW3U%2F20250731%2Fus-west-2%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20250731T130047Z&X-Amz-Expires=72000&X-Amz-Security-Token=IQoJb3JpZ2luX2VjEKv%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2FwEaCXVzLXdlc3QtMiJHMEUCIA8mzdGd89%2BatcVHKfrqgiI%2FHv8GlLp%2FVt4D5e3w5CwNAiEAnqVIJ4D9HB2XDwZORplftG1MCBkh%2F1QX6k2rSQPOmEUqjAUI1P%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2FARACGgw4OTIzNjQ2ODc2NzIiDO9x%2B7US9szN5k70xyrgBLvtbP6AwbFdlJ7Ynow3ZPvklqU6%2FUDmVmnaxVqgcju8VzT%2Fh6c6J1Rd5H6dRoMBLBpq2Cv5j7uX8XWQEu5KvYPpR11jL6YWV5Z1OeJmXD7OaZOefojZLlYCtevDjo679SqosB2r7w6Ixpx0FXc3E6irT6wr%2FIzw6MKOcigLAz9yMWXrhzvuDFUIaAbIv6gm5tkkijKD4r5K0TStdweGQh4BaxvNzu%2FNxXekQnLjrwBbbbqkIF%2BogwXIUVj%2Fao5ah5V%2BMtxEv7dTyZDx%2FTqUONywt1ABje5A6xzN68%2FJlLrasfiponJIBe6q5CU5odAYQkzcDDS5VJCA5%2FzFsXBCmwpESBiFOoH2oAZ2PWx9YkWbEsX3xIZTNvogPiI6Yf388rowcj6yyoDXgV4my52VSzLb1%2B7tpGbQsvudAjUARim1O0gNULvAwAOtQ33NMZZGqViqHPm9tus92rfhloE0LYUySlXgRiT%2BfwFmZwroPhqZFNXg7ZnkSe9htMHwOJz3ocRAsUF%2FYWbU4cKhJFV0mxO4wcdIN14yBsz2j%2Bd%2F9wVUdKDr3XKnEze3I%2FeEHuZWhjZVujIlXX5sK8OuDIIoEbwL5isUynbnio5%2FoC0LGg3sLFuZT3xs0qYXA6Sri4Yk95MLvp9wBzJ%2FE1IfZ9CxpBg595tMv2tWuqZ7PsqwaoW8qRwe5CqwQcVYad8%2FN6M4O9%2FXo5Vqv59%2B0vrwzYmH3XMPCz%2FuHW8L2%2BBj%2BjPBZ6G4UeLBQePIru5e1W4re8cU%2FnRet6yy%2F6Lq%2F444Z2cdOz0z7SM19Sw7fri4qfkkQiSwMIWercQGOpsBIqPnNWEPUo2NAR0WHu3J36GyC4KGafcwdkzlpbB6P%2FCigVFbgHq6aq6F5j66nY42icQsSUmMbfKCNn9oz0Fp1s9rVmy7miGGqLBqBIeba8aG0QGABmYembtjeiFksP7kJQTp%2FDk3VslnyYUwJb4fGDmg8DVZb1uv4HoD5NB%2BJOQsGoTfMtV5PKHSs22fNFyxGdBRW2bzNKKBTns%3D&X-Amz-Signature=1c5de7918a800a519a92c427f5257ab9f8d5bd71735c2403278d65e208b0a629&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&response-content-disposition=attachment%3B%20filename%3D%22Non-Collusion_Affidavit.pdf%22&x-id=GetObject