Source: MedEx Instagram
Disclaimer: This story was composed with the assistance of AI.
Update as of 12:30 PM ET, April 17: Lee County said Friday it was unable to reach an agreement with MedEx Medical Transport on EMS franchise terms and is now working to secure another provider to avoid service disruption. The county said MedEx ultimately could not agree to terms officials considered essential.
Lee County’s public statement on the MedEx contract. April 17, 2026.
UPDATE as of 9 PM ET, April 16: Dillon Lowe, the CEO of MedEx, in an emailed response to The Curious Scout Thursday, said the draft contract Lee County wanted MedEx to sign included language that could let the county suspend payments without clear standards or a cure period, expand staffing and reporting requirements beyond the original bid, and impose restrictions MedEx says conflict with state law on credentialing waivers.
The chief executive shared that the company has not withdrawn from the process and remains willing to sign an agreement, but said county staff gave it roughly three business days to accept a contract “as drafted” or the county would move in a different direction.
According to MedEx, “That deadline has now passed, and the County has indicated it is proceeding with a different option.”
Lee County’s plan to transition EMS service from FirstHealth of the Carolinas to MedEx Medical Transport is under strain after the company issued a statement Thursday saying negotiations with the county remain at an impasse over contract terms ahead of a planned July 1 start date.
MedEx says it has invested over $1 million, including five new ambulances, in preparation to take over 911 EMS services, but the two sides remain at an impasse over operational requirements, financial risk allocation, and legal alignment. According to MedEx, the county has indicated that no further changes to the contract will be considered.
MedEx press release statement. April 16, 2026.
This latest dispute follows a contentious selection process that saw commissioners override an advisory committee recommendation in favor of MedEx, largely on cost grounds, after public hearings in late 2025.
In October 2025, Lee County commissioners held two public hearings on the EMS franchise. At the first session, MedEx Chief Operating Officer Jeff White went beyond pitching his application; he challenged the legitimacy of the bid review itself, alleging that the county’s EMS Advisory Committee had conducted portions of its process outside public view and had failed to provide MedEx with the required bid form.
Commissioners appeared caught off guard by those statements.
The committee, along with county staff, unanimously recommended renewing with FirstHealth of the Carolinas, which held the contract since 2021 and posted average response times under eight minutes.
At the second hearing, cost won out. MedEx’s proposal — roughly $8.3 million total versus FirstHealth’s $20.85 million — proved too large a gap to ignore for the Republican majority.
Commissioners voted 4-3 along party lines to pursue MedEx, overriding both the advisory committee and county staff.
A subsequent 5-2 vote in December finalized the board’s direction — even as reporting raised questions about whether MedEx’s claimed 911 experience held up to scrutiny — and MedEx was formally awarded the contract in January 2026.
Now, with 75 days until the July 1 start date, the deal may be unraveling, and it’s unclear if the county has a contingency plan.
MedEx CEO Dillon Lowe and Lee County staff have both been contacted for comment. This story will be updated if either responds to the Scout’s request for comment.