Billing Solution Frees Up Medic`s Time

     It took Andy Schultz, president of Rockford, IL-based ATS Medical Services, just seven months to realize if he wanted to continue working as both company owner and paramedic, he needed a new billing system.

     When Schultz launched his new company in mid-July 2005, he took what he thought was the least expensive route by using an online billing company's software. Turns out, the company often failed to submit his claims to their insurance carriers-roughly $200,000 worth, in fact.

     "That tends to affect your cash flow," says Schultz, "so we decided to look into other options and ended up working with Digitech."

     Digitech Computer, Inc., is a provider of billing solutions for the EMS industry based in Briarcliff Manor, NY.

     "Although I've been in EMS for 20 years, I had never owned a company, so I didn't have much knowledge about billing," Schultz says. "I was looking for both dispatch and billing software that would allow us to continue doing the work in-house; however, I didn't have a lot of cash flow to purchase the software and a new computer, and what we wanted to do and what Digitech had to offer was a perfect combination."

     Digitech's Ambulance Commander provides features like call-taking, GPS vehicle tracking, digital dispatching, security and HIPAA-compliant Medicare, Medicaid and commercial insurance electronic invoicing, and enables clients to maintain real-time access to their billing data and financial reports via a secure Internet connection.

     "I was doing all the billing and had to hire an extra paramedic to fill my spot on the ambulance," says Schultz, "but that wasn't what I wanted. I liked being on the streets and seeing the customers. Now, I'm able to be on the ambulance two or three days a week."

     Since signing on with Digitech, Schultz has not only had time to be a paramedic, his company has already grown and more money is coming in. In fact, he adds, collections are up dramatically because the claims are actually being submitted.

     When asked if he has advice for other new companies, Schultz is quick to recommend hiring a company like Digitech from the outset.

     "If you're a new company just starting out, I would have somebody else do the billing for you, because it frees up your time to generate new clients and focus on other aspects of the business. I started off 13 months ago with one ambulance," he says. "Now, I have four ambulances, and we're doing very well with our call volume, but you can't keep the doors open unless you're bringing in revenue and claims are being submitted. It's definitely a double-edged sword: You have to spend a little money to make money."