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Sheriff says larger jail medical contract needed; commissioners approve amendment
Summary
The sheriff recommended increasing the jail medical-services contract capacity to 130 and raising the contract 'cost pool' to $40,000; commissioners approved the one-year contract amendment with a 3% annual escalation clause and noted that hospital costs remain the county’s responsibility.
Montgomery County commissioners voted to approve an amended medical-services contract for the county jail after the sheriff said the inmate population is expected to rise.
The sheriff told the board the county’s contract had been written for 100 inmates but actual and projected census growth makes that level insufficient. He recommended budgeting for a contracted capacity of 130 and selecting the $1.30 per-inmate rate quoted by the vendor rather than the lower $1.20 option because the net difference was modest and would reduce the risk of larger back-end charges. "We’re guessing, you know, 15 to 20 on the daily" increase in population, the sheriff said when describing anticipated growth.
The sheriff also proposed increasing the contract’s cost-pool (a contingency fund for out-of-contract costs such as specialty medications and hospital stays) from $20,000 to $40,000; he noted that unspent cost-pool funds are returned to the county at the end of the contract year. Commissioners asked about escalation language and billing practices; the presented contract included a 3% annual renewal increase. The board moved to accept the contract as presented and recorded a unanimous yes vote from the commissioners present.
The sheriff confirmed the vendor negotiates hospital billing down to Medicare rates but that the county ultimately covers hospital bills under the contract’s terms. The contract period is one year with the noted annual escalation clause.
