The Franklin County Commission hopes a new Alabama program will lead to reduced costs for medical expenses for inmates in the Franklin County Jail.
Commissioners approved sending a notice of intent to participate in the Medicaid for County Inmates program, created by the Alabama Legislature in 2016 as a way to help local counties save money on inmate medical expenses.
While commissioners approved the notice of intent, they are not bound to participate in the program. A decision will be made by the commission and Franklin County Sheriff Shannon Oliver once more information on the Medicaid for County Inmates program is received.
There was a legislative deadline of October 16, 2017, for counties to send their notice of intent.
The program applies to persons who were already Medicaid eligible at the time of their arrest. Medicaid regulations normally suspend benefits for someone in jail. The new program allows for an otherwise Medicaid-eligible inmate with a major medical situation that involves a hospital stay of 24 hours or more to have his or her Medicaid benefits apply for those expenses.
Each participating county would be responsible for 30 percent of those expenses.
“It's supposed to be a lower rate and we only reimburse the state share of 30 percent of an already reduced rate,” Oliver told the commission. “But we're working to get more information about rates and what type of cost savings there might be.”
In other action, the commission:
--accepted the retirement of Ricky McAnally from the Franklin County Solid Waste Department, effectively December 1, 2017, and agreed to allow Solid Waste Manager Duncan Ward to hire a temporary employee.
--approved a contract with Mar-Jac for Franklin County Sheriffs Department deputies to provide security at the company's two facilities at each deputy's specified overtime rate. Security will be provided 6 p.m.-6 a.m., seven days a week. There will be no cost to the county for these services.
--authorized North Alabama Council of Local Governments to administer the grant for the Mar-Jac project in Spruce Pine.
