Who pays?

If two counties are reported having trouble with medical bills for prisoners, there are likely others we haven't heard from yet, so consider this a possible trend. Allen County Sheriff Ken Fries is requesting $229,000 extra because, among other expenses, six inmates with serious problems have received more than $99,000 in care since March. St. Joseph County Police have paid nearly $100,000 for uninsured inmates in the first six months of the year and plan to ask for an additional $237,000 for the medical budget next year.

One problem, apparently, is Public Law 80, enacted July 1 of last year with the intent of cutting sheriffs' budgets; it set rates at which counties must reimburse medical providers -- either 104 percent of Medicare reimbursements or 65 percent of actual charges. But:

The vague language of the statute is being interpreted differently from county to county. Some take the law, as St. Joseph County has, to mean that the sheriff must cover medical care for all uninsured suspects detained in the county, regardless of the arresting agency. Other counties have decided they are responsible for the bills of only those suspects arrested by their sheriff's department — not suspects arrested by other police agencies, even if they're locked up in the county jail.

The law's author acknowledges the vagueness and says she'll propose an amendment in January. In the meantime, though, counties such as St. Joseph and Allen who are taking responsibility for all inmates aren't exactly saving money. I wonder if officials in Fort Wayne, where most of our county jail's inmates come from, are prepared for a big bill if the legislature decides the expenses should be paid by the inmates' originating jurisdictions.