NWA EDITORIAL: Higher costs prescribed in wake of Washington County’s ivermectin use to treat covid

‘Relax, this won’t hurt a bit’

The Washington County Sheriff's Office and the Washington County Detention Center is seen Friday, Aug. 27, 2021, in Fayetteville.  (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Andy Shupe)
The Washington County Sheriff's Office and the Washington County Detention Center is seen Friday, Aug. 27, 2021, in Fayetteville. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Andy Shupe)

The medical provider whose off-label use of ivermectin as a covid treatment among Washington County jail inmates has been emphatic that the medicine wasn't harmful to anyone.

When it comes to Washington County's taxpayers, we're not so sure.

Readers may remember the revelation by then-Sheriff Tim Helder back in August 2021 that the contracted jail medical provider, Karas Correctional Health, had been prescribing the human form of ivermectin to inmates battling covid. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration had not authorized the drug for treating covid in humans and denied there was scientific data to support its effectiveness in such uses.

The drug is perhaps better known for its veterinarian formulations, intended to fight parasites in animals. The FDA has reported some hospitalizations from people using the livestock version of ivermectin, but that was never the issue at the Washington County jail.

Still, revelation of the off-label use became controversial, triggering some calls for Washington County to ditch Karas. The Sheriff's Office said any use by inmates was on a voluntary basis. But the situation caught the attention of the American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas, which criticized its use on inmates as "medical experimentation." Eventually, the ACLU filed a lawsuit on behalf of four inmates against the county and Karas.

Washington County Quorum Court officials, however, stood behind Karas, voting 9-4 in support of a resolution expressing appreciation to Karas and its founder, Dr. Robert Karas. The Arkansas Medical Board investigated, but decided against taking any action against Karas.

The controversy played out like a microcosm of the general split among Americans over vaccinations, the viability of masks in fighting covid and disagreement over shutdowns related to stemming covid's spread.

In 2022, Washington County paid Karas Correctional Health about $1.2 million.

With that history, it was no major shock when Karas, in early December, alerted Washington County of his company's intent to terminate its contract to provide medical care at the jail. The company's medical malpractice insurance, Karas reported, was set to increase from $125,000 to $650,000 a year.

Despite no findings of wrongdoing, it seems the insurance industry's actuaries did some new calculations of risk. The price went up, dramatically. Lawsuits and public controversies, we suppose, tend to unnerve those who provide insurance coverage.

Jail officials can't go without some kind of medical care for inmates, so the county requested bids for a new contractor. It got three of them, including a new proposal from Karas Correctional Health for a cool $1 million more than the previous arrangement. The other two proposals were $2.3 million and $5.6 million.

In one of his final major moves as county judge, Joseph Wood awarded the contract to Karas again, pending full Quorum Court authorization.

The lawsuit remains and the price tag for Karas' services has jumped by $1 million.

Sometimes they say the cure is worse than the disease. Washington County taxpayers have a medical provider for its jail again, which is the good news. But the events of the last couple of years have come with a cost for Washington County's taxpayers.

Which reminds us: When a doctor says "This might sting just a little," believe him.

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What’s the point?

Washington County’s taxpayers are paying more to provide medical care for jailed inmates after a tumultuous couple of years.

 


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