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Lebanon County approves PrimeCare Medical contract to expand jail medication-assisted treatment
Summary
The Lebanon County Correctional Facility will contract with PrimeCare Medical to expand medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for incarcerated individuals; the first-year contract cost presented was $362,859.81 and county staff said a portion may be offset by opioid settlement funds.
The Lebanon County Board of Commissioners approved a contract proposal to expand medication-assisted treatment (MAT) services at the Lebanon County Correctional Facility, the facility warden said.
Tina Watts, warden of the Lebanon County Correctional Facility, presented the contract pricing and staffing plan developed with PrimeCare Medical. Watts said the Department of Justice is encouraging correctional facilities to adopt induction-based MAT programs. The proposal advanced by county staff would expand current maintenance services (continuing verified prescriptions) to include inductions for people entering custody, add four hours per week of MAT physician coverage, and create two full-time positions: a MAT coordinator and a MAT nurse.
Watts said the contract price for 2025 was presented as $362,859.81 and described the year as a transition year during which costs could rise or fall depending on the facility's average daily population and the number of intakes that require MAT induction. Watts said PrimeCare reported about 120 new intakes per month and estimated that roughly 8% to 12% of incoming individuals present with opioid or other substance withdrawal relevant to MAT assessment.
Watts also said the county is able to invoice a portion of the cost to existing opioid settlement (OCO) funds; staff referenced about $100,000 available from those funds as one offset but said the proposed contract encompasses that expected revenue. Watts asked for commissioners' assistance if additional opioid settlement funds become available to help sustain the program.
Why this matters: Expanding MAT services in the jail aims to continue community addictions treatment initiated in custody and to provide continuity of care at reentry; it also represents a material addition to the jail's medical services budget.
Supporting details - Contract cost presented for 2025: $362,859.81 (per the presentation). - Staffing proposed: add four hours/week of MAT physician time, one full-time MAT coordinator and one full-time MAT nurse (positions to be hired if approved). - Intake data referenced: approximately 120 new intakes per month, of which 8% to 12% may present with opioid or substance withdrawal requiring assessment. - Funding offset: county may use about $100,000 from opioid settlement funds (OCO) to offset medication costs; other grant funding may be pursued.
What the board decided: Commissioners voted to approve the contract proposal by voice vote.
Ending: County staff said 2025 would be a transition year and that actual costs will depend on intake volume and on securing grant/settlement offsets for medication and services.
