BENTONVILLE -- Benton County Judge Barry Moehring urged justices of the peace to consider setting aside money from the American Rescue Plan to help pay for ambulance service in the county.
Moehring gave a presentation concerning ambulance service at Tuesday's finance committee meeting in response to Northwest Health's decision to stop providing emergency medical service to parts of western Benton County. Northwest Health announced last week its decision to exercise a 180-day termination clause in two contracts.
Moehring told the justices of the peace Northwest Health asked about reopening the contracts in meetings in June and July.
He said the company referenced needing $1 million to continue the contract, but Moehring said the amount was able to be "whittled down" during an hourlong meeting in July.
He said the county had requests for quotes published in Sunday's newspaper and health providers have until Sept. 6 to submit their quotes.
Moehring said the situation signals that the cost of ambulance service will be going up. He said the county is in good financial shape since there's almost a million dollars in its emergency service accounts.
Moehring asked the justices of the peace to consider setting aside money from the American Rescue Plan in case it is needed to assist with paying for ambulance services. He said ambulance service could be paid for with money from the plan.
The county announced last month in a news release that the Benton County Quorum Court has spent, appropriated or committed approximately $45.5 million of the $54 million the county received from the federal government in American Rescue Plan funds.
The move by Northwest Health will impact two contracts, according to the release.
The first is a three-year contract to provide emergency medical service in parts of western Benton County and the cities of Decatur and Gentry that was signed in November 2018 and renewed for a subsequent three-year term in November 2021, according to the release.
Benton County will pay $292,705 this year for that contract.
The second is a three-year contract to provide service to parts of western Benton County and the cities of Cave Springs, Centerton and Highfill that was signed in September 2020, according to the release.
Benton County will pay $72,300 this year for that contract.
The impacted cities also pay yearly for the service.
The finance committee approved a request for $40,000 to provide more nursing coverage at the Benton County Jail. Maj. Bob Bersi of the Benton County Sheriff's Office told justices of the peace the contract with Turn Key Health is based on 600 inmates and the jail was recently averaging more than 800 inmates.