Commission approves split contract with Family Health Care to keep jail medical services compliant

County administrators told the Cass County Commission that a federal rule change requires the county's jail medical provider to split a single contract into two separate agreements to maintain the provider's federally qualified health center status. Robert Wilson, the county administrator, said the county switched services to Family Health Care in 2024 after Fargo Cass Public Health stepped back from jail nursing.

"There are some elements where they serve a lot of the same clients...and we started talking and realized that we really could have a pretty strong partnership," Wilson said. He said the new rules mean the county must divide the arrangement into a transitional service agreement covering inmates scheduled for release within 90 days and an out-of-scope agreement for federal inmates and those detained 90 days or longer. Wilson said the change will require more data tracking and reporting but is "not expected to really make any difference" fiscally.

Wilson and the county attorney's office said staff worked with the sheriff and finance offices to draft an addendum that keeps the same level of service while allowing Family Health Care to comply with federal guidelines. Commissioners moved and seconded the item and the motion carried.

The approval preserves the county's partnership with a federally qualified health center, which administrators said yields prescription-drug pricing and other benefits, while requiring the county to provide additional reporting to remain compliant. The commission did not identify a change in contract cost at the meeting and recorded the motion as approved.