The Bonner County Board of Commissioners on Oct. 14 voted to preauthorize the county clerk and county treasurer to initiate and approve weekly demand payments for medical and pharmaceutical claims under the county's contract with Regents.

Kevin Rothenberger, human resources director, told commissioners that Regents requires weekly payments for medical and pharmaceutical claims and enforces a 10-day grace period; missed payments could lead to Regents withholding payment of claims and applying a 4% late fee plus a 10% penalty under the contract. The preauthorization is intended to ensure timely payment even if commissioners are unavailable to sign during a regular meeting.

Rothenberger and other staff said that the county's established review process'HR review and auditing'would continue before payments are forwarded for processing, and that the preauthorization applies only to medical and pharmaceutical claims, not other county bills. Commissioners discussed the balance between avoiding penalties and preserving board oversight; staff said the weekly payment timeline and the vendor's model drove the request.

A motion to approve the preauthorization passed on a roll-call vote.