DATE:

07/15/2002

SUBJECT: FINAL READING ORDINANCE NO. 2002-O-144

Amending Ordinance No. 97-O-114 authorizing the City of Laredo Health Department to increase the fee from $10.00 to $20.00 per person not registered in a clinic as health department patients for phlebotomy services at the Health Department Laboratory; and providing for public and effective date.

INITIATED BY: STAFF SOURCE:

Cynthia Collazo Hector F. Gonzalez, M.D., M.P.H.

Asst. City Manager Health Director

PREVIOUS COUNCIL ACTION: On July 1, 2002, Council held public hearing introducing ordinance and instructed staff to proceed with final reading.

BACKGROUND:

The City of Laredo Health Department’s Laboratory is certified and approved by the Texas Department of Health to conduct numerous analyses. These include water bacteriology, chemistry, microbiology, serology, testing for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and other approved tests. The charging of this fee is related to the phlebotomy services to non-health department patients who are referred by private physicians for prenatal screening, sexually transmitted disease testing and other clinical tests.

The fee to be charged at the time the specimen is collected is collected on a per client basis with the stipulation that services will not be denied to anyone because of their inability to pay.

SERVICE	CURRENT FEE	# OF PATIENTS	CURRENT REVENUES	NEW FEE	NEW REVENUES
PHLEBOTOMY SERVICES	10.00	8500	85,000.00	20.00	170,000.00

FINANCIAL: The City of Laredo will receive $85,000 in revenue funds if this ordinance is approved.

RECOMMENDATION:

STAFF: Recommends that Council approve ordinance.

ORDINANCE NO. 2002-O-144

AMENDING ORDINANCE NO. 97-O-114 AUTHORIZING THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO INCREASE THE FEE FROM $10.00 TO $20.00 PER PERSON NOT REGISTERED IN A CLINIC AS A HEALTH DEPARTMENT PATIENTS FOR PHLEBOTOMY SERVICES AT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT LABORATORY; AND PROVIDING FOR PUBLICATION AND EFFECTIVE DATE.

WHEREAS, the Health Department has a laboratory that performs laboratory analysis, and

WHEREAS, the laboratory is certified and approved by the Texas Department of Health to conduct numerous analysis which include water bacteriology, chemistry, microbiology, serology, sexually transmitted diseases (STD), and other approved tests; and

WHEREAS, the Director of the Health Department recommends that a fee of $10.00 $20.00 be charged for the phlebotomy services to non-health department patients who are referred by private physicians for prenatal screening, sexually transmitted disease testing, or other serological tests and other clinical tests; and

WHEREAS, it is further recommended that this fee be waived to any person who is indigent.

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LAREDO THAT:

Section 1: There is hereby established a fee of $10.00 20.00 per person not registered in a clinic for phlebotomy services for the purpose of analysis for prenatal screening or other serological clinical tests by certified personnel of the City of Laredo Health Department’s Laboratory, or by an off-site reference laboratory.

Section 2: There is hereby exempted from this charge any person unable to pay for such service due to indigency.

Section 3: Nothing in this ordinance is intended to exempt, change or modify the terms of any governing federal or state regulations which apply to the provision of phlebotomy services by the laboratory of the Health Department.

PASSED BY THE CITY COUNCIL AND APPROVED BY THE MAYOR ON THIS ____________ DAY OF ________________2002.

_______________________

ELIZABETH G. FLORES

MAYOR

ATTEST:

_______________________

GUSTAVO GUEVARA, JR.

CITY SECRETARY

APPROVED AS TO FORM:

________________________

JAIME FLORES

CITY ATTORNEY