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Swain County health department updates annual policies; board approves new $575 firefighter physical fee
Summary
Swain County Health Department presented required annual policy updates and introduced a new $575 CPT clinic fee for firefighter physicals; the county board moved to approve the package after staff noted the department nets about $115 of the fee and local advisory boards had supported it.
Allison Cochran, speaking for the Swain County Health Department, reviewed a set of annual policies that the board must approve each year, including adjudication procedures, workforce development, community health improvement updates and the fees and eligibility schedule.
Cochran highlighted a new fee tied to CPT clinic service code 99455: a work-related evaluation for firefighter physicals set at $575. He said the department expects to retain roughly $115 of that fee to cover department costs; the remainder covers mandated testing, blood work and clinician costs required for the exams. Cochran said the human services advisory board and the Town of Bryson City had already approved the new fee.
Commissioners asked about staffing and whether the department was fully staffed; Cochran said they had hired a WIC director who will start June 1 and that a nurse position remained open. After the presentation, a commissioner moved to approve the policies and fee schedule; the board voiced assent and the chair called the matter approved during the work session. The motion and voice approval were recorded in the work-session minutes; no roll-call tally was read aloud.
The board did not amend the fee at the meeting but approved the department’s full set of annual policies and the new firefighter physical fee as presented. Staff will implement the fee and the updated policies going forward.
