Explanation
BACKGROUND: This ordinance authorizes an expenditure of up to $100,000.00 for the Division of Police to pay prisoner medical bills to Grant/Ohio Health, Grant/Riverside Methodist Hospitals, Mt. Carmel Health Services, and the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office. The Division of Police is responsible for medical care provided to prisoners in police custody. The Division of Police works with Wellcomp to determine if individuals were incarcerated or in the custody of the Division of Police during the specified dates of services on the medical invoices. These invoices are also reviewed by Wellcomp, who verifies all the charges on the invoices and negotiates the cost with the hospital staff. The Division of Police has spent or is close to spending $20,000.00 with each hospital and the Sheriff’s office.
Contract Compliance: Ohio Health/Grant Hospital CC006104 expires April 17, 2019. Mt. Carmel Health Services CC005382 expires 9/13/2018.
Emergency Designation: Emergency legislation is requested for this ordinance in order to pay prisoner medical bills immediately.
FISCAL IMPACT: This ordinance authorizes an expenditure of $100,000.00 from the General Fund for payment of prisoner medical bills to Ohio Health/Grant, Grant /Riverside, Mt. Carmel, and the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office for prisoner medical bills. The Division of Police budgeted $545,250.00 in the 2017 General Fund budget for medical services for prisoners. The division spent or encumbered $391,010.13 in 2016.
Title
To authorize and direct the Director of Public Safety to pay prisoner medical bills to various hospitals and the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office for the Division of Police; to authorize the expenditure of $100,000.00 from the General Fund; and to declare an emergency. ($100,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, pursuant to the City Attorney's office, the Division of Police findings, and Wellcomp, the Division of Police is responsible for the medical bills of individuals who were incarcerated or in the custody of the Division of Police during the specified dates of services on the medical invoices ; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Division of Police, Department of Public Safety, in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Director to make payment of medical invoices to various hospitals and the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office for the preservation of the public health, peace, property, safety, and welfare; now, therefore:
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the Director of Public Safety be and is hereby authorized and directed to pay Ohio Health/Grant, Grant/Riverside, Mt Carmel Hospital, and the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office for prisoner medical bills.
SECTION 2. That the expenditure of $100,000.00, or so much thereof as may be needed, is hereby authorized in the General Fund in object class 03 Contractual Services per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 3. That the funds necessary to carry out the purpose of this ordinance are hereby deemed appropriated, the City Auditor shall establish such account codes as necessary.
SECTION 4. That for the reasons stated in the preamble hereto, which is hereby made a part hereof, this ordinance is hereby declared to be an emergency measure and shall take effect and be enforced from and after its passage and approval by the Mayor, or ten days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.