January 14, 2021 By Mike Kruzman / news@whmi.com EMS runs and payments that go to collections will now have an additional charge tacked on to help the county offset costs. Last month, the Livingston County Board of Commissioners approved a new collections agency, Merchants & Medical, to handle unpaid bills from Emergency Medical Services. EMS Director David Feldpausch, in a memo to the Board, explained that Merchants & Medical had mentioned that the county can legally add an additional charge to all accounts that get sent to them for collections. At their online meeting, Monday, the Board authorized a 25% charge onto accounts going to collections, with added assurances that proper notice is given to all clients who may be charged. Livingston County EMS had traditionally absorbed those costs themselves.