The Limestone County Commission is set to approve a memorandum of understanding between itself and Alabama Medicaid for a pilot program that could save the county thousands of dollars each year in inmate health expenses.

The commission heard from County Administrator Pam Ball at Tuesday morning’s work session, and are set to vote to approve the memorandum of understanding at next Tuesday’s meeting.

During the 2017 legislative session, an act was passed to ensure Medicaid coverage for inmates and juveniles continues after they have been arrested. Prior to the act, counties were 100 percent on the hook for all medical expenses, even if the arrested party had health coverage through Medicaid. With the commission’s approval, Medicaid will now cover the medical expenses for those who are on Medicaid.”

“For inmates who have Medicaid when they go to jail, instead of it being terminated, it will now just be suspended,” Ball told the commission. “So, if they go to the hospital, it will be reinstated for that time period.”

The program was set to take effect Jan. 1, but was delayed. It is now set to begin, with the pilot period to last through Dec. 31.

The county has an existing contract with Southern Health Partners, which operates a medical clinic at the Limestone County Jail for 16 hours a day, seven days a week. The new contract that began on Oct. 1, 2017, was for $49,268.48 per month and includes an annual cost pool of $150,000 for outside medical expenses. Southern Health Partners will repay the county 80 percent of the balance of unused cost pool funds up to the $150,000 annual limit.

For fiscal year 2015, the county’s total inmate health care costs were $495,275.50. The costs were $564,858.10 in 2016. In the 2017 fiscal year, health care costs were $566,981.83.

Ball said she did not know exactly how much the county would save with the new Medicaid program, but it would be “thousands of dollars per year.”

In other business Tuesday, commissioners Stanley Hill and Ben Harrison commended volunteers who helped clean up parts of the county following last week’s tornado.

“The general public jumped in and did a good job helping clear roads and helping neighbors with house damage due to falling trees,” Hill said. “Volunteer fire departments, church groups and others all stepped up. It’s amazing what happens during a disaster, and those folks really came through.”

Hill said all roads were clear and the county would spend about three or four more days picking up brush.

Harrison said work was continuing on Leggtown Road, cleaning out ditches and removing brush. He said an agreement had been reached with a landowner, who is allowing the county to burn brush in a large pasture on his property.