LEBANON — Medicare suspended reimbursement payments to Lebanon Rescue June 17, six months after the rescue department failed to submit revalidation paperwork due by the Jan. 1, 2013 deadline, according to the company hired to do billing for rescue services.

The revelation was among several outlining Comstar Ambulance Billing Service’s dealings with Lebanon Rescue, contained in a Dec. 16 letter to selectmen from the company’s general manager Scott L’Abbe.

Comstar officials told Lebanon selectmen they had notified Lebanon Rescue about the Medicare revalidation Nov. 1, 2012, and advised them of the deadline. The letter says the company made 14 attempts to contact the rescue agency concerning the process, to no avail.

“Due to the lengthy delay, Lebanon is now at risk of losing their participating status altogether with Medicare,” the letter states, in part.

Rescue Chief Samantha Cole and Assistant Rescue Chief Jason Cole announced on Dec. 10 their decision to resign, effective Dec. 31, citing a desire to spend more time with their family. Jason Cole is also resigning his selectman’s post, effective the same time.

Their resignations came as selectmen cope with a $200,000 deficit at Lebanon Rescue, while about $165,000 is owed from billings to insurance companies and the like, through Sept. 30, according to documents released at a recent selectmen’s meeting. Of that amount, about $97,500 is considered doubtful or non-collectible.

The town expects to collect about $13,400 for October and November, leaving a balance of $81,900 in estimated collectible accounts. The town estimates $20,000 is owed by Medicare, but given the tentative status of Lebanon Rescue’s Medicare provider status, town officials say, that amount is also in doubt, leaving a balance of about $61,400 in estimated collectible accounts.

The Medicare revalidation process is apparently taking place ”“ Samantha Cole, the rescue chief, made reference to it in an interview with the Journal Tribune for a recent story.

The letter notes patient run reports have not been submitted by the rescue department since Sept. 30, and that Lebanon Rescue had submitted run sheets only four times in 2013. That, Comstar officials said in a conference call with selectmen last week, is in contrast to previous years when they were submitted regularly. And while other Maine communities provide weekly access to Comstar through a state website to ensure runs are billed in a timely fashion, L’Abbe wrote, the rescue agency has never allowed Comstar access to the website and submits paper copies to the billing firm instead. As of Dec. 16, no forms had been submitted since Sept. 30, which, L’Abbe said, means some insurance carrier’s time limits for filing bills comes into play.

The letter notes that ambulance rates haven’t increased since 2008, despite being 100 to 200 percent below industry standards, and references a number of other issues.

Jason and Samantha Cole have not responded to messages seeking comment about the allegations contained in the Comstar letter.

Last week, Selectmen Karen Gerrish and Ben Thompson hired former Sanford and Biddeford fire chief Ray Parent as interim rescue chief, beginning Jan. 1.

“We’ll look into the process, and attempt to see what worked and what didn’t, and see what went wrong,” said Parent.

He said he’ll look at what could be improved, whether there are enough ambulance calls to support the organization, and will attempt to collect as much as possible for ambulance runs already provided. He said the volunteer agency is composed of a good group of people, and he doesn’t see that changing.

Lebanon Rescue is a department of the town. As well, the separate Lebanon Rescue Corporation, formally called Lebanon Rescue Squad, Inc., is registered as a nonprofit entity in Maine. Incorporated in 1982, the nonprofit entity failed to register with the state for several years and was suspended and then reinstated in 2009, according to information available on the Maine Secretary of State’s website. The nonprofit was administratively dissolved in 2011, 2012 and 2013 when annual reports weren’t filed, but was reinstated each year after filing. It is now a member in good standing, according to the website. Jason Cole is listed as its agent.

In addition to its rescue duties, Lebanon Rescue Department Corporation members do charitable work, including recently hosting “Operation Santa,” and delivering Christmas presents to an estimated 400 local children.

— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 (local call in Sanford) or 282-1535, ext. 327 or twells@journaltribune.com.