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Neosho County appoints temporary district coroner, raises district pay and outlines billing plan
Summary
After the previous district coroner moved out of state, Neosho County commissioners appointed Rady “Rick” Breck as temporary district coroner for up to one year, approved higher monthly fees for the district coroner and assistant, and discussed rising autopsy costs and state reimbursement procedures.
Neosho County commissioners voted to appoint Rady (Rick) Breck as the temporary district coroner for the 30 First District and to set the district coroner fee at $400 per month and the assistant’s fee at $300 per month.
The appointment followed a December letter from the county’s district coroner, Dr. Scott Coats, notifying the county that state statutes require a coroner to be a Kansas resident and that he had moved out of state. County staff told the commission the statute limits how the district appointment is made and that a non-medical coroner may be appointed temporarily for up to one year while the county continues to search for a medical doctor to fill the role.
The commission also discussed how the district coroner’s compensation and operational costs are shared among the four counties in the 30 First District. Staff presented a population-based distribution example and said the county’s current monthly payments of $300 to the coroner and $300 to the assistant have varied under previous coroners. Commissioners approved raising the district coroner fee to $400 per month and keeping the assistant at $300 per month by voice vote (“All those in favor? Aye. Motion passes.”).
Commissioners and coroner staff reviewed recent increases in autopsy and laboratory costs and the state’s reimbursement process. Staff said some autopsy line items have risen substantially compared with earlier years and that the state provides limited reimbursement for certain child-death and related reports. County staff said they received a new pricing sheet from the state’s forensic administrator and that the county will send autopsy bills and call-out fees to the district coroner for review before submission to the county for payment.
At the meeting Breck was sworn in at the podium with the wording of the oath entered on the record. Commissioners instructed staff to notify the other counties in the district of the appointment and to send a billing letter so the district can recover the shared annual fees moving forward.
No litigation, permanent appointment, or hiring of a medical coroner was finalized at the meeting; commissioners said Breck’s appointment is temporary and that a permanent search will continue.
