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Sheriff details jail Medicaid transformation; billing delays threaten intended savings
Summary
Sheriff King said the county began a Medicaid transformation for jail clinical services on July 1 to capture reimbursements for in-jail care, but billing codes and state rules lag the project; he said staff will meet the Health Care Authority to seek clarity and additional short-term funds for billing infrastructure.
Sheriff King told the advisory board the county started a Medicaid transformation project in the jail on July 1 to expand clinical services and capture Medicaid reimbursements for care provided to incarcerated people. "That began July 1. That has been the challenge. And so our biggest challenge right now... is Medicaid billing," he said.
King said the transformation aims to treat more conditions inside the jail—examples include medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder (MOUD), expanded management for diabetes and in-facility diagnostic work such as EKGs—to reduce emergency-room transports and officers’ time. "Part of the intent of the transformation project too is to, like, limit ER admissions," he said, noting ER transports are resource intensive for the local hospital and for officers who accompany inmates.
The sheriff said the county has created a…
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