By Ben Benton
Chattanooga Times Free Press
Copyright 2007 Chattanooga Publishing Company
DUNLAP, Tenn. — County commissioners transferred $40,000 to Sequatchie County’s ambulance service Monday night to keep it running until Saturday, county officials said.
Money is tight, but officials vowed to do whatever it takes to keep the ambulances on the road.
“Due to administrative error, the revenues that were anticipated have not been received, and the financial status of the ambulance service is in dire straits,” said County Commissioner Will Zimmerman, who heads the emergency services committee.
“There is no indication of any improper activity, only mismanagement,” Mr. Zimmerman said.
A letter of resignation from ambulance service director Paul Howard was read at the meeting Monday.
On Tuesday, Mr. Howard said the money problems arose from a keyboarding error and a change in billing procedures. He said the ambulance service in May began using a “national provider number” for collection from Medicare and insurance companies.
“There was a keyboarding error, and the old provider number and the new national number weren’t matching,” he said. The person who did the billing left, and the problem wasn’t addressed, he said.
“I was the director, and the ball’s going to fall in my court,” Mr. Howard said.
Mr. Howard, who now works at the sheriff’s department, said his resignation and the problems are not linked.
“I didn’t resign because there was a problem; I had an opportunity, and I took advantage of it,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mr. Zimmerman said the county has hired someone to help catch up the books.
“She anticipates that we will start receiving money next week,” he said.
Budget committee chairman Paul Powell said the ambulance service should generate $55,000 a month, but collections are behind.
“We’ve got $32,000 supposed to be coming in and another $12,000 on top of that,” Mr. Powell said of collection efforts. “I’m no mathematician, but you add it up and 32 and 12 is only 44.”
Mr. Powell and Mr. Zimmerman both urged commissioners to do whatever it takes to “keep the ambulances on the road.”