Story County prepares RFP as jail medical contract rises; staff warn of hospital-bill and overtime spikes
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Summary
Sheriffs office staff told supervisors they plan to issue an RFP ahead of a June 30 contract expiration; the proposed medical line item rose from about $414,000 to $550,000 and staff flagged a recent 14-day in-hospital custody stay and 287.5 hours of overtime as potential near-term cost drivers.
Sheriffs office staff told the Story County Board on Feb. 6 they are preparing a request for proposals to replace the jail medical services contract, which staff budgeted at $550,000 for FY27, up from about $414,000 in the current year.
Jail Administrator Anderson said a draft RFP is with the county attorney for review; staff plan to publish the RFP within a month of completing legal review, allow roughly 30 days for responses and expect to give a successful vendor about 120 days to implement services if awarded. The current contract runs through June 30.
Board members pressed staff to ensure any new vendor can connect in-custody individuals to Medicaid and federally qualified health centers for continuity of care after release. Staff noted recent policy changes mean Medicaid is suspended rather than terminated during incarceration in many cases, which may make re-enrollment and inpatient coverage easier.
Separately, staff reported a recent in-custody individual required a 14-day hospital stay; because the person was not released, the county expects hospital bills (billable at Medicaid rates in some cases) and said the stay generated 287.5 hours of overtime to staff hospital security. Jail staff said they could not yet estimate the total cost and asked the board to note the likely near-term spikes in medical and overtime spending.
What happens next: staff will finalize the RFP after county-attorney review; the board did not approve the higher medical line item as a final action at the meeting and will consider it as part of broader budget decisions.
