Marshall County commissioners voted Jan. 5 to approve a contract with Concierge Medicine of Marshall County to provide a county-sponsored clinic for employees who choose to enroll.

Dan Tanner, the company representative, told the board the membership model is optional and the county would pay only for employees and dependents who opt in. "The cost is outlined in the proposal of $60 per month for adults and $20 a month for children under the age of 18," Tanner said. He said new members would be onboarded within 90 days of acceptance and that DOT physicals for enrolled drivers would be covered under the membership.

Commissioners pressed for details on reporting, work-comp coordination and how the county would handle appropriations. Tanner said the vendor would provide fully itemized monthly invoices that meet State Board of Accounts requirements but would not include HIPAA-identifying information: officials would receive counts, diagnosis categories and estimated costs rather than patient-level data. On workers' compensation, Tanner said the clinic would coordinate with the county's already-established work-comp process and third-party carrier to avoid duplicate billing or bypassing HR paperwork.

The board made the contract approval conditional on the county securing a transfer or additional appropriation from the county council; commissioners voted to start outreach and enrollment immediately and allow services to begin Feb. 1 for participating employees after the council approves funding. The board also authorized the president, in coordination with the auditor and human resources, to identify a source line item and transfer $50,000 to a clinic line to support start-up costs.

Supporters on the board said the program could reduce long-term health costs if participation meets expectations; some members cautioned the savings depend on enrollment and high-cost claim activity. No vote counts were recorded in the minutes; the board adopted the motions by voice vote.

Next steps: the board will forward transfer paperwork to the council for approval and Concierge Medicine will coordinate informational meetings for county staff and deliver monthly itemized reports for review.