THE SPECTATOR: COMPROMISE NEEDED ON JAIL MEDICAL EXPENSES FOR THE TAXPAYERS

  

This week is ending will no change in the ongoing impasse between the Washington County Sheriff, the County Judge and Commissioners, and the County Jail Medical Director.  All the while inmates who have or complain about medical problems are still being transported to the emergency room for costly treatment….costly to the taxpayers.  Just how costly is still unknown.  County Judge John Durrenberger and Commissioner Joy Fuchs say the County pays the Medicaid rate to the hospital for treatment of inmates, which amounts to about 5 or 6 percent of the billed amount.  EMS Director Kevin Deramus told KWHI that the average ER visit costs about $4800.  So using the 5 to 6 percent rate suggested by the Judge and Commissioner, the average bill would be under $300.  KWHI has filed a freedom of information request to see the expenses associated with inmate trips to the ER from January and February of 2019, and January and February of 2020.  Fuchs says the County has not received any bills yet for this year, and we are still waiting to receive the information for 2019.

During Tuesday’s meeting, the County Commissioners voted to sit down with Sheriff Otto Hanak to see if some compromise could be worked out to resolve the impasse causing this situation.  Unfortunately Sheriff Hanak is on vacation this week and Judge Durrenberger said they have not contacted him out of respect for his time.  I did speak with Hanak this week about the situation, and why he had banned County Medical Director Dr. Robert Stark from the jail.  Hanak says he was forced to take that action after the Commissioners Court took too long to investigate complaints presented to them as far back as November.  Hanak says if the complaints turn out to be unfounded, then he would welcome Dr. Stark back into the jail.  He says he doesn’t like that it’s costing the county and its taxpayers money to send inmates to the ER for treatment, but that he still has to provide for their medical care in some way.  Hanak says he feels like he and his office are being made a target in this situation, while he is having to wait for the conclusion of an investigation.  Judge Durrenberger has confirmed that there is an investigation into complaints against Dr. Stark, but it is ongoing.

No matter what the actual cost is to the County for having inmates unnecessarily treated at the ER, as Commissioner Kirk Hanath said this week…”spending $1 more than required is too much”.  I am still hopeful that something can be worked out this next week, so that medical care can be provided at the jail, and not the ER.  Otherwise I am afraid this impasse could continue for months.

And that’s the way it looks to this Spectator.