RFP _499_26 EMS Billing Services.pdf

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DAWSON COUNTY GEORGIA

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)

EMS Billing Services

RFP #499-26

Submission Deadline:

June 25, 2026 at 2:30 PM

Delivery Address:

Dawson County Board of Commissioners

Attn: Purchasing Manager

25 Justice Way, Suite 2223

Dawsonville, GA 30534

Important: The responsibility for submitting a response to this RFP on or before the stated date and time lies solely with the offeror.

Issue Date: May 28, 2026

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RFP #499-26 EMS Billing Services

Table of Contents

Invitation to Proposers

RFP Timeline

General Overview

General Conditions

Scope of Services

General Terms

Vendor’s Checklist Form

Vendor’s Information Form

Vendor’s Price Proposal Form

Execution of Proposal Form

Addenda Acknowledgement Form

Drug Free Work Place Form

Certificate and Statement of Non-Collusion Form

Georgia Security and Immigration Compliance Act Affidavit

Sample Contract

Collections History

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Invitation To Proposers

Dawson County Board of Commissioners is issuing this RFP to solicit sealed proposals from qualified vendors specializing in ambulance billing services. The selected vendor will be responsible for providing comprehensive billing and collection services for transport clients and/or their insurance carriers, as well as financial reporting, insurance carrier certification and accreditation, and analytical services related to ambulance transport billing. Additional details are provided in Section II

Proposal Submission Instructions Complete RFP packages must be submitted in a sealed envelope or container clearly marked with the RFP Name and RFP Number. Submit one (1) original hard copy proposal, and one electronic (1) copy of the proposal on USB drive. Handwritten or incomplete proposals may not be considered. Electronic copies of the bid documents are available at:

https://www.bidnetdirect.com//dawsoncounty

Pre-Bid Meeting:

There will not be a pre-bid meeting for this solicitation.

Questions & Clarifications:

All questions must be submitted in writing via email to:

Hanna Milford, Purchasing Manager Hmilford@dawsoncountyga.gov

Questions are due by June 15, 2026 at 5:00PM. Responses to all inquiries will be posted on both the Dawson County website and the Georgia Procurement Registry by June 18, 2026 at 5:00PM. Any changes to the scope or terms of this solicitation will be issued via formal addendum.

Equal Opportunity Statement:

Dawson County is committed to providing equal opportunity for all businesses and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or veteran status. This policy ensures that all segments of the business community have fair access to County procurement opportunities.

Please note that Dawson County does not guarantee a minimum or maximum value for this contract. We appreciate your interest in doing business with Dawson County and look forward to your participation.

Sincerely, Hanna Milford, Purchasing Manager

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Section I – General Overview

1. Proposal Submission

Offerors shall ensure their submittals are securely packaged and sealed to prevent damage during mailing. One (1) original, fully signed submittal and one (1) electronic copy provided on USB drives must be received no later than June 25, 2026 at 2:30 p.m. All materials shall be submitted in a sealed envelope clearly marked with the vendor’s name, address, and RFP #499-26 EMS Billing Services, and be delivered to:

Dawson County Board of Commissioners Attn: Purchasing Manager 25 Justice Way, Suite 2223 Dawsonville, Ga 30534

Vendors are responsible for informing any commercial delivery service, if used, of all delivery requirements and for ensuring that the required address information appears on the outer wrapper or envelope used by such service. NOTE: Many express mail and delivery services do not guarantee overnight by noon to Dawson County.

Hand Delivery: Hand Delivery copies may be brought to the above address between the hours of 8:00AM and 5:00PM EST, Monday through Friday, excluding Holidays. For a complete listing of Holidays, please visit www.dawsoncountyga.gov. No submission will be accepted after 2:30PM on the date listed above, at which time all company names and offers received will be publicly read aloud.

GPS Location: Some GPS systems cannot locate the above-named address. Proposers may search the following address if trying to visit the Dawson County Government Center: 25 Tucker Avenue Dawsonville, GA 30534. Tucker Avenue is located on the East side of the Government Center. Upon arrival, please continue one block West on Shoal Creek Road to Justice Way. Parking for the Government Center is available off of Justice Way. Proposers should verify address is in Dawson County and not a surrounding community.

2. Contact Person

Vendors are encouraged to contact Hanna Milford, Purchasing Manager via email at hmilford@dawsoncountyga.gov to clarify any part of the RFP requirements. All questions that arise prior to the Deadline for Questions due date shall be directed to the contact person in writing via email. Any unauthorized contact shall not be used as a basis for responding to this RFP and also may result in the disqualification of the vendor’s submittal.

Vendors may not contact any elected official or other county employee to discuss the bid process or bid opportunities except through the Purchasing Manager named herein, or as provided by existing work agreement(s). This policy shall be strictly enforced and the County reserves the right to reject the submittal of any vendor violating this provision.

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3. Additional Information/Addenda

Dawson County will issue responses to inquiries and any other corrections or amendments it deems necessary in written addenda issued prior to the due date posted on the County’s website under the bid information. Vendors should not rely on any representations, statements or explanations other than those made in this RFP or in any addendum to this RFP. Where there appears to be a conflict between the RFP and any addenda issued, the last addendum issued will prevail. Vendors are advised to check the website for addenda before submitting their bids.

Vendors must acknowledge an issued addenda by including the Addenda Acknowledgement with the submittal. Bids which fail to acknowledge the vendor’s receipt of any addendum may result in the rejection of the offer if the addendum contains information which substantially changes the Owner’s requirements. Absence of acknowledgement does not release the Bidder from being held to any changes/information released in the addenda.

4. Late Submittal and Late Modifications

Submittals received after the due date and time will not be considered. Modifications received after the due date will not be considered. Dawson County Government assumes no responsibility for the premature opening of a Bid not properly addressed and identified, and/or delivered to the proper designation.

5. Rejection of Bids/Cancellations

Dawson County Government reserves the right to reject any and all submittals and reserves the right to waive any irregularities or informalities in any submittal or in the submittal procedure, when to do so would be to the advantage of Dawson County. Dawson County reserves the right to cancel this RFP at any time.

6. Minimum RFP Acceptance Period

Submittals shall be valid and may not be withdrawn for a period of ninety (90) days from the date specified for receipt submittals.

7. Non-Collusion Affidavit

By Submitting a response to this RFP, the vendor represents and warrants that such Bid is genuine and not a sham or collusive or made in the interest or in behalf of any person not therein named and that the vendor has not directly or indirectly induced or solicited any other vendor to put in a sham Bid, or any other person, firm or corporation to refrain from submitting and that the vendor has not in any manner sought by collusion to secure to that vendor any advantage over any other vendor. By submitting a Bid, the vendor represents and warrants to that no official or employee of Dawson County Government has, in any manner, an interest, directly or indirectly in the Bid or in the contract which may be made under it, or in any expected profits to arise there from.

8. Cost Incurred by Vendors

All expenses involved with the preparation and submission of the RFP to the Dawson County Board of Commissioners, is the responsibility of the vendor(s).

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9. RFP Opening

Proposals will remain sealed and names of proposers will be read immediately following the submission deadline at the physical address stated in this document. All names of the proposals submitted will be posted on the County Website within three (3) days after the submission deadline.

10. Open Records

All materials submitted in connection with this RFP will be public documents and subject to the O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71, Open Records Act and all other laws of the State of Georgia; and the open records policies of Dawson County Board of Commissioners. All such materials shall remain the property of Dawson County and will not be returned to the respondent. Should you believe that your bid/proposal contains any trade secrets you must submit an affidavit, along with the bid/proposal, that states that specific portions of the bid/proposal contain trade secrets as defined by Georgia law (article 27 of Chapter 1 of Title 10 of the Official Code of Georgia). Furthermore; the affidavit must be detailed, citing specifically the portions of the bid/proposal containing any trade secrets. All such materials shall remain the property of Dawson County and will not be returned to the respondent.

11. Taxes

Dawson County Government is tax exempt. No sales tax will be charged on any products or services. Dawson County cannot exempt any other person/vendor from applicable sales taxes that may be required of them in relation to this project. Selected vendor will be provided with Dawson County’s Sales and Use Tax Certificate of Exemption number upon request.

12. Vendor Information

All submissions shall include a completed vendor information form, current copy of business license and current W-9. Failure to provide this information could result in the disqualification of the vendor from submitting a proposal.

13. Insurance

Selected vendor will be required to provide a Certificate of Insurance as proof of liability and workman’s compensation insurance while under contract with Dawson County. Workman’s Compensation insurance should be as required by the State of Georgia. General Liability, Professional Liability, and Cyber Liability at a minimum should cover $2,000,000 per incident and $6,000,000 aggregate. Dawson County Board of Commissioners shall be named as additionally insured for the project herein.

14. Bonds

If required, under Section II – Scope of Work of this document, any combination of the following bonds may be requested by Dawson County. A five percent (5%) bid bond, a one hundred percent (100%) payment bond, and a one hundred (100%) performance bond. All bonds would be payable to Dawson County Board of Commissioners. Failure to submit appropriate bonding will result in automatic rejection of bid. Bonding company must be authorized to do business in Georgia by the Georgia Insurance Commission, listed in the Department of Treasury’s publication of companies holding certificates of authority as acceptable surety on Federal bonds and as acceptable reinsuring companies, and have an A.M. Best rating.

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15. Anti-Discrimination Dawson County, in accordance with the Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. 2000d to 2000d-4 and Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, Department of Transportation, Subtitle A, Office of the Secretary, Part 21, nondiscrimination in Federally-assisted programs of the Department of Transportation issued pursuant to such Act, hereby notifies all bidders that it will affirmatively ensure that n any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, disadvantaged business enterprises as defined at 49 CFR Part 23 will be afforded full opportunity to submit bids in response to this Invitation to Bid and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, national origin, sex, handicap/disability in consideration of an award.

By submitting their bids, all bidders certify to Dawson County that they will conform to the provisions of the Federal Civil Rights Act of 1964. In every contract of over $10,000 the provisions below apply.

During the performance of this contract, the contractor agrees as follows:

o The contract will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, religion, color, sex, or national origin, except where religion, sex, or national origin is a bona fide occupational qualification reasonably necessary to the normal operation of the contractor. The contractor agrees to post in conspicuous places available to employees and applicants for employment, notices setting forth the provisions of this nondiscrimination clause.

o The contractor, in all solicitations or advertisements for employees placed by or on behalf of the contractor, will state that such contractor is an equal opportunity employer.

o Notices, advertisements and solicitations places in accordance with federal law, rule or regulation shall be deemed sufficient for the purpose of meeting the requirements of this section.

The contractor will include the provisions of 1 above in every subcontract or purchase order of over $10,000 so that the provisions will be binding upon each subcontractor or vendor.

16. Georgia Security and Immigration Compliance Act Vendors submitting a qualification package in response to this RFP must provide the following information in the package to indicate compliance with the Georgia Security and Immigration Compliance Act. The form is provided for completion.

17. Gratuities

Dawson County acknowledges that it may be customary to provide gifts to employees or departments. However, it shall be unethical for any County employee involved in making procurement decisions to have personal investments in any business entity that creates a Conflict between their private interests and their public duties. It shall be unethical for any person to offer, give, or agree to give any Dawson County employee, or for any Dawson County employee to solicit, demand, accept, or agree to accept from any vendor or business, a gift or gratuity in any amount in exchange for any decision, approval, disapproval, or recommendation concerning a solicitation.

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Section II – General Conditions

Dawson County Board of Commissioners is issuing this RFP to solicit sealed proposals from qualified vendors specializing in EMS Billing Services. The selected vendor will be responsible for providing comprehensive billing and collection services for transport clients and/or their insurance carriers, as well as financial reporting, insurance carrier certification and accreditation, and analytical services related to EMS Billing. This scope includes full management of the billing cycle, from patient transport through final account closure.

Goals and Objectives Increase overall collections, modernize and streamline the billing and collections process, and enhance training opportunities for DCES personnel.

Contract Period The initial term of a contract awarded as a result of this RFP shall be from award through December 31, 2026. The contract may be renewed according to the terms stated herein for four (4) additional one (1) year periods.

Background Dawson County is considered a rural community and is located approximately 60 miles north of Atlanta, with a population estimate of 35,365. As of 2026, Dawson County operates an Emergency Services Department that utilizes Advanced Life Support (ALS) transport units. Based on 2025 transport call data, 48% were ALS transports, and 52% were BLS transports. 32% of all calls in 2025 were Treatment/No Transport calls.

Billing Rates These are the current billing rates adopted into our County Ordinance on June 3, 2021.

Dawson County Emergency Medical Services Fees Service Rate

Advanced Life Support (ALS) Level 1 Non-Emergency $550.00 Advanced Life Support (ALS) Level 1 Emergency $850.00

Advanced Life Support (ALS) Level 2 $1,000.00 Basic Life Support (BLS) Non-Emergency $475.00

Basic Life Support (BLS) Emergency $675.00 Treatment/No Transport $300.00

Mileage (Loaded Per Mile) $15.00 Non-Sufficient Funds Fee $35.00

Finance Charge (for invoice not paid within 180 days) 1.0% of balance each month

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Collections History Yearly collection history is attached to this RFP. Dawson County has chosen to provide collection history beginning from 2024.

Scope of Services

This section outlines the minimum contract requirements for EMS billing, collection, financial reports, and analytical services. The County desires to pursue a partnership to build an optimal revenue cycle. The minimal requirements are listed here; however, the County is open to alternatives to meet the requirements that may or may not be described below.

It is a primary function of the vendor to ensure compliance and certifications with all insurance providers, including Medicare and Medicaid. Failure to do so may negatively impact the County, either financial or by reputation, and therefore, may impact the Contractor accordingly.

Section 1 – General

A. All aspects of the vendor’s operations - including, but not limited to, billing, reporting, technology services, compliance functions, customer service, and client support - must be performed within the continental United States. Under no circumstances may any services provided to the County under this contract be performed outside the continental United States. Any violation of this requirement will result in immediate termination of the contract. While Dawson County has a preference for vendors based in Georgia, proposals from companies located outside the state will be considered.

B. The vendor shall maintain a staff of certified ambulance coders. Certification should be through the National Academy of Ambulance Coders (NAAC).

C. At the beginning of the contract, the vendor will be expected to meet with Dawson County personnel involved in the EMS Billing process to go over the implementation and transition process, performance of the current account’s receivables, identifying outstanding issues, and discuss any strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for improved performance.

D. At present, all payments from Medicare, Medicaid, commercial insurers, and other payers are received by Dawson County Finance via check, online credit card payment, or EFT into the County Ambulance Billing Account. Remittance information is then forwarded to the EMS Billing provider for posting and account documentation. Dawson County is open to alternative payment-processing solutions and invites vendors to outline their recommended approach for managing payment collections.

Section 2 - Billing, Payment and Claim Processing

A. Upon award of the contract, Dawson County and the awarded vendor will determine a start-up date.

B. Vendor shall monitor file transfer and notify the County within one (1) business day of any file transfer failures.

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C. The vendor will be responsible for providing software that is fully compatible with our current ePCR system, ESO, and capable of receiving electronic billing data in real time.

D. Vendor will be responsible for reviewing each Patient Care Report (PCR) for content and accuracy.

PCRs with discrepancies must be returned to Dawson County for clarification or correction prior to submission for reimbursement. Dawson County should be notified of billing holds within 48 hours of the PCR being submitted.

E. Vendor must have the ability to verify insurance eligibility utilizing available software and commercial databases prior to submission of any claim for reimbursement.

F. Electronic filing is the required method of filing primary Medicare and Medicaid claims. Electronic filing is the preferred method of filing to all other guarantors.

G. Vendor shall prepare invoices according to the rates, guidelines, and procedures established by the County as well as meet all applicable laws and regulations including those for Medicare and Medicaid.

H. All write-offs (either partial or total) shall be authorized by the County in writing prior to removing any outstanding balance. Dawson County may elect to set a monetary or conditional threshold of accounts that may be written off without advanced written approval.

I. Vendor shall pre-screen all claims to confirm compliance with the guarantor’s guidelines (i.e. physician certification statement, assignment of benefit signature forms, medical necessity documentation) to prevent claims being unnecessarily denied.

J. Vendor must reliably submit claims within seventy-two (72) hours of receipt of the final digital file.

K. Vendor shall notify Dawson County monthly, in writing, of claims submitted greater than seventy-two

(72) hours after receipt and provide an explanation for the late filing.

L. All digital processes involving protected health information (PHI) shall be HIPAA compliant and meet all State and Federal privacy, security, and transaction coding requirements.

M. It will be the responsibility of the vendor to maintain, process, and distribute all HIPAA and NPP documents.

N. The vendor shall participate in the County’s annual fiscal year audit in a timely manner.

O. The vendor shall maintain and demonstrate acceptable internal audit processes and standards.

P. The vendor shall perform an 18-month retrospective analysis of all billable activity to identify any additional revenue that may be recoverable at the time of contract award, and shall conduct this analysis annually thereafter.

Q. All invoices shall be billed in compliance with the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.

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R. The vendor shall process all claims according to the timelines agreed upon between the payor, Dawson County, and the vendor. The claims shall be divided into multiple revenue categories: Medicare, Medicaid, Commercial Insurance, Auto Insurance, Worker’s Compensation, and Patient Pay.

S. Claims shall be appropriately re-categorized after receiving payment from the primary payer. All denials shall be processed within three (3) business days of receipt.

T. All denials shall be processed according to the timeline defined by the vendor and the County.

U. Dawson County has a separate Collections Agency Contract. The County is open and interested in the contracted EMS billing provider being responsible for collections.

Section 3 – Patient/Payor/Client Management and General Requirements

A. The vendor must make a good faith effort to make return contact to all customers within 24 business hours after initial contact from customer has been received. The vendor will treat all customers fairly with professionalism, honesty, courtesy, and integrity while obtaining the maximum results. The County will be the final arbitrator of disputes between the successful vendor and customers. The County’s decision shall be final.

B. All patient complaints concerning services rendered must be referred to the designated representative at DCES immediately.

C. The Vendor shall provide patient customer support, at no cost, during normal business hours, Monday- Friday 8:00AM – 5:00PM Eastern Standard Time.

D. The vendor shall have a designated team to provide support to Dawson County at no cost, during normal business hours and maintain a process for emergency notification after hours.

E. The vendor shall provide to Dawson County real-time access to patient account status, filing dates, and insurance payment data via an online portal.

F. The vendor shall partner with Dawson County to provide documentation training as necessary. Training may include sessions for any group or individual, at no cost. Training may be requested when there are updates to Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS updates rules/regulations) or any other circumstance where training would benefit Dawson County. The vendor must provide sufficient HIPAA compliance training to relevant Dawson County employees when requested or as needed.

G. The vendor shall be required to provide analysis and expertise in all issues related to ambulance billing.

The analysis shall include recommendations, trends, and other issues that are found during PCR review.

H. There shall be regular, quarterly, meetings between the vendor and Dawson County to review the EMS billing services being provided and to discuss reimbursement performance. Information shared in the meeting shall include reimbursement success rates per payor, payor mix trends, ongoing deficiencies or weaknesses in documentation, revenue trends, recommendations to increase revenue, etc.

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I. Dawson County prefers, but not required for purposes of submitting a proposal, that the vendor have the capability to record all incoming phone calls and be able to produce audio files to Dawson County when requested.

J. The vendor should act as the advocate for the client with Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance in an endeavor to optimize payment on behalf of the client.

K. Dawson County may reserve the right to hold off on any write-offs that are waiting for insurance payments or in the case that a patient is making monthly payments.

Section 4 – Accounting and Reporting

A. Accounting for all billing must be in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles

(GAAP).

B. Vendor must have the capability to generate and provide various reports to Dawson County daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, annually, and/or upon request. During the implementation process, the vendor shall meet with Dawson County and provide them with a list of important reports and discuss the use for each suggested report and how to read each report. The vendor and Dawson County will determine the most useful reports and those shall be provided daily, monthly, quarterly, annually, etc.

C. Monthly reports and all supporting documentation should be submitted to Dawson County within ten

(10) business days after the end of the month.

D. Reports should be submitted electronically either via email or secure server.

E. Additional reports may be requested on an “as-needed” basis with an expected development time of not-to-exceed five (5) business days unless otherwise agreed to by Dawson County in writing.

F. Reports may require modification periodically on specific issues or other needs that may arise. Any report modification requests shall be the responsibility of the vendor and shall be updated in a timely manner.

G. Below are reports that are required by Dawson County to monitor the billing and collections process.

This list is not all-inclusive but should serve as a reference point for the types of reports that Dawson County may request.

Any report requested on an “as-needed” basis that would be useful to Dawson County in monitoring, auditing, and evaluating the County’s ambulance service and/or accounts receivable process.

Daily reports indicating claims received and processed by date of service.

Monthly report indicating claims backlog and claims payments.

Monthly and annual date of service performance monitoring and account reconciliation.

Account analysis, sorted by month, of all client accounts.

Account analysis by month sorted by payor.

Aging report by current payor and aging category (accounting period based).

Accounts Receivables Reconciliation Report (accounting period based).

All necessary reports to enable the County to confirm each claim is received, billed, and collected.

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Year-end Accounts Receivable Report.

Collection and error rate of bills submitted, sorted by medic. This report should be available on demand and have the ability to drill down to the PCR author and not the crew.

Revenue report showing all transports billed. At a minimum, the report shall include the date of transport or service, incident number, patient name, ICD-10 code and gross charges.

Outstanding aged accounts receivable report sorted by payor including a total outstanding aged report. The report shall show four (4) categories of outstanding accounts: 30, 60, 90, and greater than 120 days outstanding. The report shall show the last day of activity on the account. The report shall break down the categories into the current financial class of the account (where the next dollar payment is expected from).

A monthly listing of all refund requests processed for the month.

A monthly listing of claims excluded or not meeting the definition of any Medicare benefit.

Monthly listing of all claims “written off” (either partially or completely).

Monthly listing of all claims deemed not eligible for submission to payor.

Section 5 – Technology

A. Upon award of the contract, the vendor shall evaluate the current data collection configuration of Dawson County and shall be responsible to make recommendations to Dawson County any reconfiguration that might be required to assure minimal interruption of the data stream.

B. The vendor shall currently have, or obtain, and maintain a software interface with the County’s EMS ePCR Vendor (ESO) and must demonstrate successful data transfer to the respondent’s billing software.

C. Vendor shall provide all necessary software associated with the billing and collections process and must provide the required interface with Dawson County’s ePCR system.

D. Vendor will retain records according to the agreed upon record retention plan (minimum storage time is 7 years).

E. The vendor will provide a system that will ensure complete and uninterrupted flow of service via backup systems and a Data Recovery Project Plan/System should a disaster occur. Upon awarding of the bid, the vendor shall provide a copy of a written plan for review by the County’s Information Technology Department.

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Submittal Documents This section outlines all information that must be included in each proposal. The County is not seeking elaborate or decorative submissions. A concise, well-organized presentation of all required information is essential. The County prefers a clear, straightforward business response with brief relevant explanations.

Section 1 – Executive Summary

Company Background – Provide a concise company overview that includes:

o Years of experience providing EMS Transport Billing Services o Company history relevant to EMS Billing o Key differentiators (technology, processes, compliance strengths, customer service model, etc.)

Proposal Overview & Understanding of Requirements o Submit a brief summary demonstrating your Firm’s understanding of the RFP and how you intend to meet all requirements. Address any anticipated challenges or considerations.

Firm Qualifications & Expertise o Describe your Firm’s capabilities, expertise, and qualifications specific to EMS billing and the scope of work.

o Provide any certifications, accreditations, or specialized competencies

Expected Collection Performance o Describe the average percentage by payor type (Medicare, Medicaid, commercial, self-pay, etc.)

o Supporting examples, data, and methodology.

Office Locations & Staffing o All office locations (primary and satellite) o Total number of employees company-wide o Number of employees dedicated to EMS billing (if different)

Current Customer Base & Billing Volume o Total number of current EMS billing customers o Total number of bills processed annually, broken down by payor type:

Medicare Medicaid Private/Commercial Insurance Self-pay/individual o Total number of bills paid by payor type o Percentage of total billed amounts recovered (collection rate)

Comparable Client Accounts o Provide information on at least five comparable accounts most similar to Dawson County

Emergency Services.

o Indicate whether each account is current or past o Dates under contract o Description of similarities to DCES o Services provided for each client o One-year billing data for each client, including:

Number of transports billed Payor mix

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Average days to bill a transport Collection rate

Key Personnel o Names and roles of key personnel o Qualifications and relevant experience o Length of employment with Firm o Relevant certifications or credentials o Any additional information demonstrating expertise.

Staffing Strategy o Describe your company’s approach to recruiting and retaining qualified personnel.

Business Litigation o Disclose any involvement by the organization or any officer or principle in any material business litigation within the last five (5) years. This disclosure will include an explanation, as well as the current status and/or disposition of the case.

Section 2 – References Provide references for at least five (5) clients for which your firm has provided similar services. Please include current contact information (name, address, telephone and email address) for each reference.

Section 3 – Approach

Proposed Solution & Reporting o Provide a detailed description of the solution your company will deliver in accordance with the Scope of Work.

o Include samples of requested reports.

Products & Services Offered o List all products and services included in your proposal o Identify any optional or add-on services

Billing System & Technology o Provide a detailed description of the billing system and processes your company uses and if it is compatible with ESO.

Compliance Program o Describe your company’s compliance program and how it meets or exceeds CMS and HIPAA requirements.

Additional Value-Added Services o Identify any services not specifically requested in the RFP that would enhance Dawson

County’s operations, collections, or service to citizens.

Banking & Payment Processing o Describe how payments are received and processed.

o Are payments sent to your company or directly to Dawson County?

o Detailed description of the payment workflow o Identification of responsibilities o Any recommended changes to current processes

Outstanding Accounts Receivable o Explain your process for evaluating and addressing aged accounts receivable from previous years.

Handling of Unpaid Claims & Collections

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o Does your company provide collection services? If so, describe the collection process and measures taken to avoid conflicts of interest.

Section 4 – Implementation & Training

Implementation Process & Timeline o Provide a detailed explanation of your firm’s implementation approach and the expected timeline for a successful transition Project Schedule o Submit a realistic and detailed schedule for all services or installation activities associated with this project.

System Testing Procedures o Describe how your company will test the system to ensure full functionality and accuracy

Training Program o Provide information on the training that will be offered to Dawson County staff.

Customer Support Program o Provide detailed information on your company’s customer support structure

Requirements from Current Billing Vendor o Identify what information, access, or cooperation you will need from the current billing company to ensure a smooth transition.

Transition Concerns & Risk Mitigation o Address any anticipated challenged or obstacles and how your firm will mitigate them.

Section 5 – Financial Proposal Proposers are to use the Vendor’s Price Proposal Form provided within this RFP.

Evaluation Process Proposals will be reviewed by the Review Committee for quality and completeness. These proposals will then be scored in each of the following categories using the maximum point values listed in the chart below.

Proposals will be reviewed and evaluated by the review committee to determine whether the respondent has met the criteria described in this RFP

Executive Summary 25 References 10 Approach 25 Implementation & Training 20 Financial Proposal 20

TOTAL POINTS 100

Presentations The top-ranking firms may be invited to conduct oral interviews. If required, these presentations will be scheduled in advance and limited in time. Presentations will be conducted in Dawson County at a location to be determined. Independent scores compiled, during this phase of the evaluation by the RFP evaluators, will supersede the technical scores previously published for the Proposers selected to make an oral presentation.

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Dawson County shall be the sole judge of the provider’s ability to meet the requirements set forth. Their decision in determining responsible and responsive provider(s) will be final. Dawson County reserves the right to act in its best interest in this determinations process, to waive all technicalities, and to select the most responsible and responsive provider.

Payment

1. Dawson County pays on a NET/30 term based on date correct invoice received by our Accounts

Payable Department.

2. All invoices will be paid in the year in which services are provided.

3. Proposer to provide contact information for dedicated team member to provide billing inquiries.

4. Invoices should be sent via mail or email to:

• Mail –25 Justice Way Suite 2223 Dawsonville, GA 303534 - Attn: Accounts Payable

• Email - apfinance@dawsoncountyga.gov

Administration The contract will be administered by the Purchasing Manager with the Dawson County Emergency Services Director or designee being the main point of contract for all questions during the term of the contract.

Procedures and Miscellaneous Items

1. All questions shall be submitted in writing (e-mail is acceptable) and shall be communicated in the form of an addenda if the scope specifications are to be affected and posted on the County’s website under the bid information, all firms responding to this RFP should check the website before responding to this RFP.

2. All respondents to this RFP shall indemnify and hold harmless the Dawson County Board of Commissioners, and any of their officers and employees from all suits and claims alleged to be a result of this RFP. The issuance of this RFP constitutes only an invitation to present a proposal.

The Dawson County Board of Commissioners reserves the right to determine, at its sole discretion, whether any aspect of a respondent's submittal meets the criteria in this RFP. The Dawson County Board of Commissioners also reserves the right to seek clarifications, to negotiate with any vendor submitting a response, to reject any or all responses with or without cause, and to modify the procurement process and schedule. In the event that this RFP is withdrawn or the project canceled for any reason, the Dawson County Board of Commissioners shall have no liability to any respondent for any costs or expenses incurred in connection with this RFP or otherwise.

3. The RFP is subject to the provisions of the Dawson County Purchasing Policy and any revisions thereto, which are hereby incorporated into this RFP in their entirety except as amended or superseded herein.

4. Failure to submit all the mandatory forms from this RFP package shall be just cause for the rejection of the qualification package. However, Dawson County reserves the right to decide, on a case-by-case basis, in its sole discretion, whether or not to reject such a bid as non-responsive.

5. Any payment terms requiring payment in less than 30 days will be regarded as requiring payment 30 days after invoice or delivery, whichever occurs last. This shall not affect offers of discounts for payment less than 30 days, however.

6. In case of failure to deliver goods in accordance with the contract terms and conditions, RFP #499-26 EMS Billing Services 18 | P a g e

Dawson County, after due oral or written notice, may procure substitute goods or services from other sources and hold the Vendor responsible for any resulting additional purchasing and administrative costs. This remedy shall be in addition to any other remedies which Dawson County may have.

7. By submitting a qualification package, the vendor is certifying that they are not currently debarred from bidding on contracts by any agency of the State of Georgia, nor are they an agent of any person or entity that is currently debarred from submitting bids on contacts by any agency of the State of Georgia.

8. Any contract resulting from this RFP shall be governed in all respects by the laws of the State of Georgia and any litigation with respect thereto shall be brought in the courts of the State of Georgia. The Vendor shall comply with applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations.

9. It is understood and agreed between the parties herein that Dawson County shall be bound hereunder only to the extent of the funds available or which may hereafter become available for the purpose of this agreement.

10. Each proposal should be prepared simply and economically, avoiding the use of elaborate promotional materials beyond those sufficient to provide a complete presentation. The cost for developing the submittal is the sole responsibility of the respondent.

Bonds Bid Bond – not required Performance Bond – not required Payment Bond – not required

End of this Section

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Section III – General Terms

1. Addenda, Changes, and Interpretations It is the sole responsibility of each Vendor to notify the Purchasing Manager by E-mail and request modification or clarification of any ambiguity, conflict, discrepancy, omission, or other error discovered in this solicitation. Requests for clarification, modification, interpretation, or changes must be received prior to the Question-and-Answer Deadline. Requests received after this date may not be addressed. All questions and requests for information received will be responded to by an official written addendum and uploaded to the solicitation website and Georgia Procurement Registry. Under no circumstances shall an oral explanation given by any County official, officer, staff, or agent, be binding upon the County. Such oral explanation should be disregarded. All addenda are a part of the competitive solicitation documents, and each Vendor will be bound by such addenda. It is the responsibility of each Vendor to read and comprehend all the addenda issued.

2. Withdrawal of Proposal The Vendor shall give notice in writing of its claim to withdraw its proposal without penalty, due to an error within twenty-four (24) hours after the conclusion of the RFP opening. Proposals may be withdrawn from consideration due solely to a mistake therein, provided the proposal was submitted in good faith, the mistake was a clerical mistake as opposed to a judgement mistake, and was due to an unintentional arithmetic error or an unintentional omission of a quantity of work, labor, or material made directly in the compilation of the quote, which unintentional arithmetic error or unintentional omission can be clearly shown by objective evident drawn from inspection of original work papers, documents and material used in the preparation of the quote sought to be withdrawn.

The Vendor’s original work papers shall be the sole acceptable evidence of error and mistake if Vendor elects to withdraw its bid.

No Vendor who is permitted to withdraw a proposal shall, for compensation, supply material or labor to perform any subcontract or other work agreement for the contractor to who the contract is awarded or otherwise benefit, directly or indirectly, from the performance of the services for which the withdrawn quote was submitted.

Proposal withdrawal is not automatically granted and will be allowed solely at Dawson County’s discretion.

3. Vendor’s Costs The County shall not be liable for any costs incurred by Vendors in responding to this solicitation.

4. Pricing All pricing should be identified on Attachment B provided with this solicitation. No additional costs may be accepted other than the pricing and costs stated on Attachment B Failure to use the solicitation form and provide pricing as requested in this solicitation may cause your bid to be deemed non-responsive.

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5. Price Validity Prices provided in this proposal shall be valid for ninety (90) days from the RFP opening unless otherwise extended and agreed upon by the County and Vendor. The County shall award the contract within this time period or request from the recommended awarded contractor an extension to hold pricing until services have been awarded.

6. Taxes Goods and Services are exempt from Federal Excise Tax and Georgia State Sales and Use Tax. A certificate will be furnished upon request. Dawson County is exempt from taxes, but the successful Vendor shall pay all taxes required by law. Dawson County cannot exempt others from tax.

7. Related Expenses/Travel Expenses Your proposal must include all costs, including travel. The County will not accept additional costs.

8. Submission and Receipt of Proposals To receive consideration, proposals must be received prior to the RFP opening date and time.

Unless otherwise specified, Vendors shall use the proposal documents provided by the County.

These forms may be duplicated, but failure to use the forms may cause the proposal to be rejected.

Any erasures or corrections on the quote must be made in ink and initialed by Vendor in ink. All information submitted by the Vendor shall be printed, or filled in with pen and ink. Proposals shall be signed in ink.

9. Mistakes The Vendor shall examine this RFP carefully. Vendor’s submission of a proposal shall be prima facie evidence that the Vendor has complete knowledge of the scope, nature, and quality of the work to be performed, the detailed requirements of the specifications and scope of services, and the conditions under which the work is to be performed. Ignorance of the requirements will not relieve the Vendor from liability and obligations under any contract entered into as a result of this RFP.

Vendors are cautioned to examine all terms, conditions, specifications, drawings, exhibits, appendices, delivery instructions, and special conditions pertaining to this RFP.

10. Qualifications/Inspections Proposals will only be considered from Vendors normally engaged in providing the types of goods/services specified herein. The County reserves the right to inspect the Vendor’s facilities, equipment, personnel, and organization at any time or to take any other action necessary to determine the Vendor’s ability to perform. The Purchasing Manager reserves the right to reject proposals where evident, or evaluation is determined to indicate an inability to perform.

11. Acceptance of Proposals/Minor Irregularities

a. The County reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals, or portions of proposals, and to waive minor irregularities or variances to specifications contained in proposals. The County also reserves the right to reissue an RFP.

b. The County reserves the right to disqualify Vendors during any phase of the competitive solicitation process and terminate for cause any resulting contract upon evidence of collusion with intent to defraud or other illegal practices on the part of the Vendor. The Vendor will be required to execute a Non-Collusion Affidavit and submit it with the quote documents.

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12. Verbal Instructions Procedure

No negotiations, decisions, or actions shall be initiated or executed by the Vendor as a result of any discussions with any County employee. Only those communications in writing from an authorized County representative may be considered. Only written communications submitted by Vendor Representative designated and authorized to bind the Vendor will be recognized by the County as expressions on behalf of Vendors.

13. Exclusive Contracts Vendor agrees and understand that any contract awarded from this RFP shall not be construed as an exclusive agreement and further agrees that the County may, at any time, secure similar or identical services from another contractor at the County’s sole option.

14. Sample Contracts Attached to this RFP is a draft form of a Sample Contract which contains terms and conditions of the contractual arrangement for the services. Such form of agreement will be modified as appropriate, in the County’s discretion, to include any additional specific terms related to the services being provided. Any questions regarding the form of general services agreement must be submitted in writing by the deadline for questions specified in this RFP.

15. Background Checks Dawson County reserves the right to have any Vendor or potential contractor undergo a Dawson County Sheriff’s Office criminal history background check for any project at the contractor’s cost.

Potential contractors must undergo a background check when working in any County-operated facility, with the associated fees falling under the Contractor’s responsibility.

16. Minimum Qualifications To be eligible for the award of a contract in response to this RFP, the Vendor must demonstrate that they are properly and legally licensed to perform such work. Vendor must also supply documentation of any licenses or certifications that are required for this RFP as mentioned in the Scope of Services. In addition, the Vendor must have no conflict of interest with respect to the County.

16.1 Vendors and principles shall have no record of judgements, pending lawsuits against the County, or criminal activities involving moral turpitude and shall not have any conflicts of interest that have not been waived by the County.

16.2 Neither Vendor nor any principal, officer, or stockholder, shall be in arrears or default of any debt or contract involving the…