By Sherry Koonce

The News staff writer

BEAUMONT — Caring for the medical needs of the county’s indigent will likely carry a higher price tag since Hurricane Ike devastated Galveston’s University of Texas Medical Branch hospital, forcing the facility to all but shut its doors.

Jefferson County has long had a contract with UTMB to treat its citizens who are at, or below, 21 percent of the poverty level. Currently, there are about 800 medically indigent people in Jefferson County who qualify for medical services, Jeff Branick, assistant to Jefferson County Judge Ron Walker, said.

The majority of those patients with hospital needs are seen at UTMB.

UTMB’s hospital has barely operated since Galveston took a direct hit from Ike on Sept. 13. Ike caused massive damage to UTMB — nearly $710 million in losses. Only about $100 million of that amount is covered by insurance, the Associated Press reported.

In the storm’s aftermath, local specialists have seen Jefferson County’s critically ill patients who are deemed indigent. Some of the indigent have been referred to other hospitals such as Harris County’s Ben Taub in Houston.

Branick said most of the specialists do not take Medicaid because of the federal insurance program for low income people does not pay enough. The specialists do accept Medicare.

Jefferson County paid UTMB the lower Medicaid rate, but is now looking at having to pay the higher specialists the higher Medicaid rate, Branick said.

Branick said the rate increase would be substantial, but he did not know how much. The county has budgeted $2.9 for indigent medical needs including an on-staff pharmacist, pharmaceutical supplies and hospital services. The bulk of the budgeted amount, about $2 million, is for hospital services.

Though some patients receive care — mainly emergency room care — at other hospitals the county has indigent care contracts with including, Memorial Herman Baptist Hospital and Christus St. Elizabeth, the bulk of the $2 million has gone to UTMB, Patrick Swain, county auditor, said.

County Commissioners plan to discuss the added medical costs at 10:30 Monday during a workshop meeting.

The Commissioners will also look at other cost savings options such as taking a preventative maintenance approach to health care. The county would add a nurse practitioner to its staff in a coop with other health care providers.

The nurse practitioner would perform a variety of routine medical procedures such as blood pressure checks or diabetes medications supervision.