Walton County awards inmate medical contract to MedHealth LLC within budgeted amount

Walton County commissioners unanimously approved awarding the county—s inmate medical services contract to MedHealth LLC following a multi-stage competitive review. Procurement and county staff said the solicitation drew multiple proposals; some were disqualified for incomplete e-verify information, and the selection committee conducted in-depth reviews of the top-rated bidders before recommending MedHealth LLC as the most qualified. Staff told the board the recommended contract is within the budgeted amount approved earlier in the year and that the selected vendor demonstrated internal auditing procedures and billing controls the county expects will reduce outside medical expense and administrative workload. A county procurement presenter said the committee—s recommendation "came in exactly where we thought we were going to be" and emphasized the importance of limiting outside medical transports and streamlining invoice review. The county said the new medical facility at the jail will allow more in-house care and reduce costly hospital transports over time. Why it matters: inmate medical services are a major recurring expense for jails. County staff said a vendor that can provide in-house medical services, comprehensive billing oversight and self-auditing should reduce overall medical costs and staff time spent reconciling external invoices. The board voted to proceed with the recommended contract; staff said the contract is within the adopted fiscal-year budget and does not require a budget amendment at this time.