Medical Review Saves Over $250,000 In Broome County New York Tax Money

According to Broome County Sheriff Fred Akshar and Broome County Executive Jason Garnar, over $250,000 in Broome County taxpayer-funded overpayments has been rectified after a review of the Broome County Correctional Facility medical provider.

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After taking office in January, Sheriff Akshar along with the Broome County Department Audit and Control, began a review of the contract between Broome County and the correctional facilities medical services provider, PrimeCare Medical Incorporated. The review showed disparities in contracted hours paid and actual hours provided from  August to December 2022.

The very first bullet point in my Community F.I.R.S.T. plan is Fiscal Responsibility. Our priority from the start has been to create the most effective, most efficient Broome County Sheriff’s Office possible, because Broome County residents deserve to know that their Sheriff’s Office is utilizing their hard-earned tax dollars responsibly to serve and protect our community’s families. - Broome County Sheriff  Fred Akshar

 

According to the Broome County Sheriff news release, the Broome County Department Audit and Control found the following breaches of contract:

• PrimeCare did not routinely provide the Broome County Sheriff’s Office with the costs incurred for services rendered as part of their monthly invoices despite the contract stipulating this requirement.
• The net value of services not rendered by PrimeCare totaled $257,874.
• The staffing matrix did not reasonably reflect the mix of nursing hours actually being provided, resulting in significant changes from the matrix listed in the contract.

As a result, an agreement has been made:

• PrimeCare would meet the staffing requirements listed in the contract.'
• PrimeCare would provide monthly invoices itemizing the services and costs for providing medical care for the incarcerated population at the Broome County Correctional Facility.
• PrimeCare would repay the outstanding $257,874 via credited deductions in its monthly invoices over 12 months.

The families of our community depend on PrimeCare to provide our incarcerated individuals with the healthcare, mental health, and substance use disorder treatments and services they deserve, which are all contracted and paid for by public taxpayer dollars. I appreciate their willingness to acknowledge and take responsibility for where they have come up short while working with us to remedy these disparities as soon as possible. - Broome County Sheriff  Fred Akshar