To: Board of County Commissioners
Through: Tyler Brown, Sheriff
Prepared By:
prepared
Jared Rowlison, Detention Services Bureau Chief
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presenter
Presenter: Jared Rowlison, Detention Services Bureau Chief
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Subject:
title
2025 Inmate Medical Contract for the Arapahoe County Detention Facility
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Purpose and Request:
recommended action
The Sheriff’s Office is requesting the Board of County Commissioners approve and authorize the Chair to sign the Agreement for Services with Wellpath, LLC for Inmate Medical Services at the Arapahoe County Detention Facility (ACDF).
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Background and Discussion: Beginning in 2015, Correct Care Solutions, LLC provided healthcare services to the inmates at the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office Detention Facility (ACDF), including medical services, psychiatric services, physician services, pharmaceutical services, dental services, and other additional services as needed. In 2018, Correct Care Solutions merged with Correctional Medical Group Companies, Inc. to create Wellpath, LLC. The Sheriff’s Office issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) in 2019 and Wellpath was awarded the contract beginning in 2020 until present.
Earlier this year, the County issued RFP-24-35 for Inmate Medical Services. The RFP included specific service level expectations and program deliverables. Of note, the Sheriff’s Office decided to request proposals including higher levels of insurance coverage from vendors than previously required due to the elevated liability related to health care in detention facilities with concurrence from Risk Management.
Eight responses were submitted by vendors specializing in providing medical and behavioral health services in correctional facilities. Proposals varied significantly in quality and comprehensiveness in proposed services as well as cost for the services, which ranged from $9.7 million to $14.3 million. The evaluation team carefully measured proposals based on vendors’ experience providing healthcare to a high-risk population, ability to recruit and retain staff, ability to provide training to vendor and Sheriff’s Office staff, proposed delivery of comprehensive care and services, and cost.
After all responses were evaluated, the top three scored vendors were within approximately $222,000 of each other; the top two were within approximately $38,000. This led the evaluation team and County Purchasing Division to conclude the costs are likely within the market for the level of care required by the Sheriff’s Office to provide adequate care for those housed at the ACDF.
The top three vendors were asked to present the evaluation team with their best and final offers. The top-rated vendor, Wellpath LLC, was also the lowest cost of the top three, including after the final offers were presented. Wellpath was rated the highest vendor based on proposing a very comprehensive plan of care for inmate-patients covering physical health, behavioral health, and medicated assisted treatment (MAT) as well as additional care and related administrative needs of the Sheriff’s Office.
The Sheriff’s Office in partnership with the County Attorney’s Office has negotiated an agreement with Wellpath for a contract price of $11,687,440 annually. Annual adjustments will be based on the Consumer Price Index with staffing cost increases between 3.5% and 6%. The Sheriff’s Office presented anticipated budget information to the Executive Budget Committee in September as RFP responses had just been received; funding for this contract was included in the recommended 2025 annual budget. The Sheriff’s Office will work with the Finance Department to adjust the recommended budget to reflect the final contract amount.
Wellpath was issued a notice of award for the 2025 contract based on this formal solicitation. The contract may be extended for up to four one-year periods.
Fiscal Impact: The cost of the Agreement for Services is included in the 2025 Sheriff’s Office General Fund budget, which includes a proposed budget package for the increase in price.
Alternatives: Since Wellpath, LLC was issued a notice of award per the terms of RFP-24-34 and a contract has been negotiated, the only alternative would be to issue the solicitation again.
Alignment with Strategic Plan:
☐Be fiscally sustainable
☒Provide essential and mandated service
☐Be community focused
Concurrence: The Finance Department Purchasing Division and County Attorney’s Office are in concurrence with this request. IT services are already established and there will be no IT impact entering into this contract.