Sumner County self-insurance board approves payment of roughly $3 million hospital bill

At a special-called meeting, the Sumner County Self-Insurance Board Committee voted to pay a roughly $3 million hospital bill arising from a compounded work-related injury, members said.

The committee moved to pay the hospital invoice after staff explained that a Second-Party Administrator’s review had reduced the hospital’s full charge by about $1.2 million. A committee member formally moved ‘‘that we pay the bill,’’ and the motion passed on a voice vote; a member later noted that Mary opposed the action.

The board heard that the underlying injury began with a mild, work-related incident about two years ago and that an outdoor, follow-up event compounded the condition. Staff said the employee required resuscitation more than once and that it remains unclear whether the employee will be able to return to duty. Committee members asked for details; staff declined to give identifying information, citing confidentiality obligations.

The county attorney told the committee that confidentiality limited what could be disclosed in the meeting record but said the matter had been reviewed. ‘‘That does not mean I, as the attorney, do not have the ability to go into all of that, and I have been through all of that,’’ the attorney said, adding the review had been conducted ‘‘exhaustively.’’

Staff told the committee the Self-Insurance Board (SIB) program has maintained a positive position over multiple years and that the current reserve cushion — described in the meeting as more than $3 million in the aggregate — makes it possible to cover this large, infrequent expense without immediate additional budget action. Members discussed the timing of the bill’s arrival, noting it came as the county closed its budget and that paying before close-out was preferable.

Committee members pressed whether the expense resulted from medical errors or improper treatment. Staff said there were no known treatment errors and described the claim’s escalation as a consequence of the second incident compounding an earlier occupational injury, not a performance-related mistake by the employee.

Staff and members acknowledged there may be additional follow-up costs related to care and rehabilitation. The committee was told that any bills directly tied to the on-the-job injury would be handled through the OJI (workers’ compensation) process rather than general health insurance.

After the vote, a member asked county staff (referred to in the meeting as Kevin) to record the action in writing. The committee then moved to adjourn.