Forsyth County must explore ways to reduce health-care costs at its jail as much as possible. Monday's decision by the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners to switch to another company to provide jail health care should be a large step in the right direction.
For several years, NaphCare Inc., an Alabama company, has provided that service. Jail officials say that it has done a good job. But some commissioners have long wondered if another company couldn't do just as well for a lower price. County officials may have found that formula with Correct Care Solutions LLC of Nashville, Tenn.
The contract cost is subject to a cost-of-living adjustment each year, the Winston-Salem Journal's Wesley Young reported, but county officials said that the first-year cost should come to about $4 million. That's about $500,000 less than the county spent on health care for inmates in the 2008-09 fiscal year. The contract goes into effect Sept. 1.
The county took bids on the contract and struck a hard bargain on the costs of off-site treatment. The tab for that treatment has long been the major cause of the jail's high medical costs. Under the current contract, NaphCare pays for the first $500,000 of that treatment. After that, the county is responsible for 100 percent of the cost.
But under the new, three-year contract with Correct Care, the company will cover the first $700,000 of off-site medical expenses. After that, the county and the company will share the costs 50-50.
"There is a real incentive for them to try not to get to $700,000," said Joe Bartel, the county's director of budget and management, referring to Correct Care.
Finally, an incentive we can like.
And what's even better is that an auditing company, the Corvel Corp., will review all off-site treatment costs. That company only charges if it saves the county money, Bartel said.
Jail officials should make sure that the change in health-care providers goes smoothly. Correct Care comes highly recommended and is hiring some of the NaphCare workers, including the local administrator for jail health care. But the new company does operate with a smaller staff.
High health-care costs for the county jail are inevitable. Many of the prisoners have little or no access to health care, except when in jail. Myriad problems with the state's mental-health-care system often leave a section of the jail packed with inmates who would be much better served in a state psychiatric hospital or by an improved community-care network.
The state has dragged its feet on fixing the mental-health-care system, and now state budget cuts will make matters worse. Local judges can help by strongly considering alternatives to jail when appropriate for sick defendants and convicts who are nonviolent.
The situation may get worse before it gets better, but the county commissioners should be commended for keeping their eyes on the bottom line when it comes to jail health-care costs.
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