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Board approves 6.5% increase to jail medical contract, raising annual base to $4.4 million
Summary
The Lake County Board of Supervisors approved Amendment No. 2 to the detention facility medical services agreement with California Forensic Medical Group (CFMG), increasing the contract by 6.5% to a new base of $4,401,513.50 for calendar year 2025.
The Lake County Board of Supervisors voted to approve Amendment No. 2 to the agreement for medical services at the Lake County Detention Facility with California Forensic Medical Group Inc. (CFMG), increasing the contract maximum by 6.5% and establishing a new base compensation of $4,401,513.50 for the period Jan. 1, 2025, through Dec. 31, 2025.
Why it matters: The contract amendment funds jail medical services, a significant county expense that county staff said is subject to inflationary pressure in labor and regulatory costs. County officials said the county is months behind on vendor payments and needs to authorize the increase before the fiscal year ends.
Details and discussion: Anthony Arden, identified in the meeting as Postal Services Director, told the board that county staff and CFMG had negotiated the increase down from an initial request of about 10% to the 6.5% before the board. “The initial request came in around 10 percent. Steven, Casey, and I got to work on trying to get that down to 6.5, which is what we have before you today. 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,” Arden said.
Supervisor Sabatier, who had pulled the item from consent for discussion, said jail medical warrants ongoing board attention and proposed formalizing supervisory participation in quarterly jail medical reviews. Sabatier also urged staff to push CalAIM enrollment earlier in detainees’ stays so released inmates have coverage in place.
Board action and follow-up: The board resolved by voice vote to approve the amendment and authorized the chair to sign. Supervisors asked Health Services and jail administrators to pursue enrollment strategies for Medi‑Cal through CalAIM and to return with committee placement that formalizes supervisory oversight of jail medical monitoring.
Background: The amendment covers services provided by CFMG and increases the county’s contract base for 2025. County staff described staffing cost pressures for LVNs, RNs and physicians as drivers of increased contract costs. The board recorded no roll-call names in the transcript for the vote; the chair announced the motion carried after the voice vote.
