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Howard County approves new mobile x‑ray contract after vendor raises prices
Summary
County coroner coordinator recommended switching from Trident Care to a mobile x‑ray provider that will charge a $100 per‑decedent rate under a one‑year contract; commissioners approved the change.
David Granger, identified in the meeting as the county coordinator, told the Howard County Board of Commissioners that the county’s long‑standing mobile x‑ray vendor, Trident Care, substantially raised its billed charges when it shifted from a flat per‑decedent price to a per‑view billing method.
Why it matters: The coroner’s office and related county operations rely on mobile x‑ray services to document decedent conditions. A sudden vendor price increase affected the county’s operating cost for those services.
Granger said Trident Care had previously charged “a little over a hundred dollars per decedent,” but a recent bill arrived for $435 after the vendor began charging per x‑ray view instead of a single per‑decedent fee. Granger said he shopped for alternatives and identified another mobile provider based in St. Louis that would come on site and offer a one‑year contract at about $100 per decedent. He said a local technician associated with the new provider lives in Howard County and that he had met with that person.
Action: One commissioner moved to accept the new provider and to enter into the proposed contract; a second commissioner supported the motion and the board approved the contract by voice vote.
Clarifying details: The transcript records the prior Trident Care billing at about $435 on one occasion and the new provider’s offered rate of about $100 per decedent under a one‑year agreement. The new provider was described as mobile and able to travel to nursing homes and similar facilities. The county will execute a one‑year contract with the new vendor.
