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Lake County Board approves 6.5% increase to jail medical contract, asks staff to pursue Medi‑Cal enrollment changes
Summary
Board chair: The Lake County Board of Supervisors on Monday approved Amendment No. 2 to the agreement for medical services at the Lake County Detention Facility with California Forensic Medical Group (CFMG), increasing the contract by 6.5% and setting a new base sum of $4,401,513.50 for the period Jan. 1, 2025, through Dec. 31, 2025.
Board chair: The Lake County Board of Supervisors on Monday approved Amendment No. 2 to the agreement for medical services at the Lake County Detention Facility with California Forensic Medical Group (CFMG), increasing the contract by 6.5% and setting a new base sum of $4,401,513.50 for the period Jan. 1, 2025, through Dec. 31, 2025. The board authorized the chair to sign the amendment.
Why it matters: The amendment covers jail medical services for the county’s detention facility and comes amid staff comments that the county is four to five months behind on payments to the vendor Wellpath. Supervisors also sought clearer, ongoing oversight of jail medical services and asked staff to evaluate earlier Medi‑Cal enrollment for people entering jail to reduce gaps in coverage at release.
Health Services Director Anthony Arden said he and staff began work on the amendment in December and that CFMG’s initial request was for a roughly 10% increase, which they negotiated down to 6.5%. “We need your approval for this so we can make the payments. We're about 4 or 5 months behind on the payments to Wellpath, so we need to move forward and get this done before the end of the fiscal year,” Arden said.
Supervisor Sabati removed the item from consent for discussion and said she wanted the board to consider formalizing oversight of jail medical services through a standing committee or other board-based mechanism. Sabati also urged staff to examine CalAIM-related processes and asked Health Services to explore signing people up for Medi‑Cal “as soon as they enter jail, get them signed up for Medi‑Cal, deactivate it, and then reactivate it when they leave,” arguing that many inmates are pretrial and may be released quickly.
Arden acknowledged the request and said he will bring the issue to the department’s implementation group. He noted the county is scheduling committee work on CalAIM implementation with invites going out in July and an implementation timeline targeting October. Arden also explained factors driving the contract increase: contractual inflation adjustments, rising labor costs for LVNs, RNs and physicians, administrative and regulatory changes, and the county’s effort to maintain quality of care.
Supervisor Sabati moved to approve the amendment; the board’s vote was taken by voice and the chair announced the motion carried. The motion authorizes the chair to sign the amendment and implements the contract sum and dates stated in the motion.
Background and next steps: The amendment covers Jan. 1–Dec. 31, 2025, and raises the contract base to $4,401,513.50. Health Services said it is increasing its internal monitoring of jail medical services with annual audit reviews and monthly meetings with contractor administrators. The board asked staff to return with a proposal to formalize board-level oversight and for Health Services to report back on feasibility and timing for earlier Medi‑Cal enrollment of detained individuals.
Votes at a glance: Amendment No. 2 to the agreement for medical services with California Forensic Medical Group, Inc. — motion moved by Supervisor Sabati; second not specified on the record; outcome: approved (voice vote).
