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Cowlitz County approves one‑month extension of jail healthcare contract as vendor exits state
Summary
The county approved a one‑month extension to NAF Care's contract to provide health services at the Cowlitz County Corrections facility while a new vendor is finalized; staff said the extension will cost about $227,500 for October.
Cowlitz County commissioners approved a one‑month extension to the county’s contract for health care services at the Cowlitz County Corrections facility to maintain continuity while a new vendor contract is completed. County staff said the extension runs through Oct. 30, 2025, and will cost about $227,500 for the month of October.
County staff told commissioners that NAF Care is leaving the state of Washington and that the existing contract was scheduled to end in September; the extension was presented as a stopgap so the county can finalize an agreement with a new provider. “This one‑month extension is needed through October, for us to get the contract signed with the new vendor,” a county staff member said during the consent‑agenda presentation.
Why it matters: local jails are required to provide health care to people in custody, and an interruption in services can affect medical continuity and legal compliance. The extension was included on the meeting’s consent agenda and approved by motion without separate debate.
Details included in the consent agenda presentation: the contract amendment was described as Amendment No. 4 to the county’s corrections health‑care agreement with NAF Care; staff stated the vendor is leaving Washington and the county expects to bring a replacement vendor on board during October. The county official who presented the consent items said the one‑month cost would be “right around $227,500 for the month of October.”
Decision and next steps: commissioners voted to approve the full consent agenda, which included the NAF Care extension. Staff indicated they are negotiating and preparing paperwork to begin a contract with the new vendor after the October extension expires.
Meeting context: the extension was handled on the consent agenda and did not require separate motion or amendment; commissioners moved and approved the consent agenda in a single vote.
