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Mills County tables Hendricks Hospital bills; staff report communication gaps and uncertain final liability
Summary
County staff told commissioners they first received a packet of Hendricks Hospital invoices in mid‑2021 and have had limited response from the hospital's accounting staff. The court voted to table the bills until officials can obtain complete statements and confirm whether paying a Medicare‑rate line will satisfy outstanding balances.
Mills County Commissioners Court voted on March 10 to table action on a packet of medical invoices billed by Hendricks Hospital related to jail inmate care, citing incomplete documentation and unreturned inquiries from hospital accounting.
County staff said the packet of invoices was received in pieces, with county personnel first seeing a list in mid‑2021. Staff reported multiple attempts to contact Hendricks accounting and a hospital contact named Amber Waters, but said responses were intermittent and that the county had not received a final, consolidated statement. One line in the materials supplied to the court showed a Medicare‑rate amount of $5,129.48; county staff said they could not confirm whether paying that amount would resolve liability for earlier bills that might still exist.
Amanda (county staff) told commissioners she spent months trying to reach Hendricks and ultimately provided a contact in Hendricks to the county's indigent health staff. Commissioners and staff discussed whether bills had been routed correctly — to an indigent care office or directly to the county — and observed that Hendricks assumed responsibility for inpatient care after 2020, complicating reconciliation of older invoices.
Commissioners voted to table the item and asked staff to continue outreach with Hendricks to obtain final statements, verify whether the Medicare‑rate figure represents a full settlement and return with a recommendation. The treasurer suggested not paying the full amount immediately and instead seeking a payment plan or written confirmation that payment would close the account.
Why it matters: unresolved medical invoices tied to jail care can affect county finances and indigent‑care processes; incomplete records and unresponsive billing departments make it difficult for county officials to determine appropriate payment amounts or whether errors exist in the invoices.
Ending: The court asked the treasurer and county staff to continue efforts to reach Hendricks accounting and report back when they can present a verified final statement and recommended action.
