Milpitas council approves three‑year cardio‑metabolic screening program for police

The Milpitas City Council on Oct. 21 approved a three‑year agreement, not to exceed $206,000, to make cardio‑metabolic screening available to police employees, including specialized blood testing and periodic imaging, with the stated goal of early detection of heart disease and related conditions.

Supporters said the program addresses elevated cardiovascular risk among law enforcement and could lower long‑term workers' compensation costs; opponents and some council members pressed staff for clearer connections to existing health‑plan coverage and for fiscal prudence.

Chief Jared Hernandez told the council the screening is voluntary and that the vendor provides two tiers of service: a “hard start” blood panel (tier 1) and a higher‑intensity package that includes imaging and specialist review (tier 2). Hernandez said the city sought the three‑year contract primarily to secure pricing and scheduling. He described the tests as more extensive than standard employer health‑plan bloodwork and said some conditions had been identified by the vendor that routine physician exams had not detected for officers. “This program is trying to mitigate those risks for us as a city,” Hernandez said, citing national studies showing a higher incidence of cardiac events among police officers.

Council members questioned whether standard health plans such as CalPERS‑offered coverage, Kaiser or Blue Shield already cover equivalent testing. Hernandez responded that the specific high‑level markers and the imaging used by the vendor are not routinely included in typical health plans and that the vendor benchmarks results against law‑enforcement specific cohorts. He said the program was designed to reduce presumptive workers'‑comp claims for cardiovascular events by catching issues earlier.

City staff said the budget request was a three‑year not‑to‑exceed authorization; staff assumed up to 120 participants across the program's term but said actual participation was likely to be lower. Hernandez said the vendor's list price for the tier 1 panel was $399 per person and $924 for tier 2 imaging and follow‑up; staff noted prior years' participation had been smaller (about 75% participation the first year, roughly 91 participants). The council heard from one public speaker who supported the program as an important preventive health step and from several members of the public who asked that staff confirm whether testing could be provided through existing insurance.

After more than an hour of questions, the council voted on the staff recommendation to authorize the contract. The motion was recorded with Council Member Lian identified as the mover; the final recorded tally was two yes votes, one no and two abstentions. City staff said the motion carried because it had a majority of those voting. The contract will be implemented as budgeted and only for employees who choose to participate.

City staff said the program is voluntary, will produce aggregated (not individual) data for the city, and that individual medical findings are handled by clinicians; staff also said unused budgeted funds would follow normal year‑end appropriation procedures and not automatically be spent. The council directed staff to confirm whether specific components could be billed through the city's health plans when feasible and to return with a final contract for the city manager to execute within the authorized not‑to‑exceed amount.