Commissioners refer proposal to use opioid-settlement funds for first-responder health screenings to finance

Klamath County commissioners on March 11 discussed a proposal to use opioid-settlement funds to pay for comprehensive cardiometabolic and cardiology screenings for first responders and directed staff to refer the item to the county finance committee for further review.

The proposal, requested by a sheriff's office sergeant and outlined by county staff, would use opioid-settlement revenues to pay for physician-interpreted ECGs, a cardiometabolic stress test with expiratory gas analysis, advanced lipid and inflammatory biomarker panels, hematology and metabolic labs, carotid ultrasound, clinician consultations, exercise physiology input and individualized nutritional analysis. Staff provided a vendor quote of $849 per person and estimated an initial cohort of about 50 to 100 first responders.

Why it matters: The county has been using opioid-settlement money for public-health responses. Finance reported the county has received under $2 million to date, around $1.5 million total receipts with roughly $300,000 remaining after prior commitments; the county expects additional settlement receipts over the next five to six years. The Board did not approve the expenditure at the meeting but asked staff to pursue formal contracting steps and to bring the matter to the finance committee so the board can review costs, vendor options and compliance with the restricted uses of the funds.

Board discussion and next steps: Commissioners asked how many employees would qualify and whether parole and probation staff would be included. County finance director Vicky Knoll said roughly $300,000 remained from prior opioid-settlement receipts and anticipated further revenue in future years. County staff said procurement rules require soliciting additional bids and that a contract and formal bid approval would return to the board in a subsequent business meeting. Lieutenant Steve Lewis of the sheriff's office told the board he had seen Cigna’s presentation in other venues and spoke positively of the vendor's work.

The board provided direction to place the proposal on the finance committee agenda for a deeper fiscal and procurement review rather than approving the expenditure at the March 11 administrative meeting. Staff said they would seek at least two additional bids as required by county contracting rules, prepare a contract, and return with a recommendation at a business meeting if finance supports the use of funds.