[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6765531,"mediaKeyId","5780886-2c5df9c25e70e07a81040132b6ff1e0f","parentId",5780886,"title","House committee urged to update public‑health funding formula; rural leaders cite 50‑year gap","audioSeconds",5316,"startMs",1524670,"endMs",6840950,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5780886-2c5df9c25e70e07a81040132b6ff1e0f&start=1524&end=6840","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5780886-2c5df9c25e70e07a81040132b6ff1e0f/thumbnail_1524670.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6765531/Georgia/House-committee-urged-to-update-publichealth-funding-formula-rural-leaders-cite-50year-gap","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6765531-b9d4e884149417aa07f6304710272b9b/orig.mp4?Expires=1775972854&Signature=YlL9fWcZZah~YCIBe6MmDl47AbGK8UDk67tGXpGDr~5IwlXI-rUTM2f4ywZqr1rMrGP9HGVHnT99Ov4DFGu5E6n7BLezxmEyVfNRDajHJ8yratT0~NmjrRMTStjJJyCfXiLxCsBzs77hZkcPZ7kRiAw2xoppXqMttbDJze-B9bFYJNcKHhDfJHbUdktJMgX~rEegBE18YVEZqU-sU32bTkJHhB13r3~ZAbzUYH9UVTGmDUta9TZKz3CEPE1gNLfkcpsg3M3CVMNW7VHjMERHXZaCrMQAMDTr-lJ1IHHgWlnAUa4T9lXqF~UPDxn4JF-wXuqoHI-VKwmjcefJ3beNMA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","State of Georgia ","date","2025-09-18T00:09:55.777Z","article","Members of the House Study Committee on Evaluating Funding for Public Health were told Friday that Georgia’s method for allocating county public‑health dollars needs overhaul if the state is to equitably serve rural communities.

\"Our funding formulary really needs some work and attention,\" said Dr. Chris Scoggins, board member of the Georgia Rural Health Association, adding that the county contribution formula \"has not been updated since the '70s\" and that the current system is \"crude\" because it relies mainly on population and poverty measures. Scoggins urged a new formula that would draw on more nuanced measures such as the Social Vulnerability Index and state epidemiologic data.

Why it matters: Committee members from largely rural districts described practical consequences when funding and district lines do not align — including transportation barriers, duplicated services, higher per‑unit costs and difficulty recruiting and paying staff at market rates. Scoggins said rural districts \"do not enjoy those economies of scale\" and that fixed costs make rural public‑health delivery more expensive per capita.

State public‑health officials confirmed there are two separate formulas to understand. \"The funding formula that determines the allocations that the state gives to DPH and then in turn we give down to the counties is the general grant and aid formula that was actually developed in 2011,\" Megan Andrews, Department of Public Health deputy, told the committee, but she clarified that the county contribution formula based on population and tax digest data dates back to the 1970s.

Local providers described operational practices that rely on better data and partnerships. Shelly Spires, CEO of Albany Area Primary Health Care, said FQHCs use EMR analytics and the state’s public OASIS data to run PDSA cycles and target services, and she credited collaborative programs — like a breast and cervical cancer effort that exceeded 582 visits — with improving access.

What lawmakers asked for: Representatives requested follow‑up data and said they would welcome formal dialogue between the Georgia Rural Health Association and DPH about formula changes. Representative Dexter Sharper pressed whether the association had engaged the health department; Scoggins said they had not engaged formally but would welcome the conversation. Chair Darlene Taylor and others asked DPH and the Department of Community Health to provide precise counts, fiscal impact analyses and illustrative PMPM numbers so the committee could consider options.

Next steps: Committee members signaled interest in ordering data runs and a statewide audit of county health‑department facilities and partnerships, including co‑location and space‑sharing, to identify where investments or statutory adjustments might improve efficiency. The committee requested follow‑up materials from DPH and DCH and said it would consider options that separate county contribution obligations from the state allocation formula.

At the close of the session Chair Taylor said the committee would collect presenters’ materials and that members hoped to see specific recommendations in the next meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Evaluating Funding for Public Health 9.17.25","oneSentenceSummary","Members of the House Study Committee on Evaluating Funding for Public Health were told Friday that Georgia’s method for allocating county public‑health dollars needs overhaul if the state is to equitably serve rural communities.","taxTitle","Appropriations, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Committees, Legislative, Georgia","taxId",16937,"location","Georgia","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6765528,"Medicaid NEMT brief: brokers, regions and rising costs; committee asks for PMPM detail",1568,9291300,10860190,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5780886-2c5df9c25e70e07a81040132b6ff1e0f&start=9291&end=10860","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5780886-2c5df9c25e70e07a81040132b6ff1e0f/thumbnail_9291300.jpg","/articles/6765528/Georgia/Medicaid-NEMT-brief-brokers-regions-and-rising-costs-committee-asks-for-PMPM-detail","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6765528-d3d6ff737109374892f01b52b36975c6/orig.mp4?Expires=1775972854&Signature=Gm~-~H65AZh9KXULMrb5qBtWOqTEvFvL1~Yjb6Uq4FcCTg7GQzHtLfbUYfHaXYE3A1RkaFevuVNpRTTEbQgK6pM6sG8rTIuwxP21-PEA7o14TdDFI9tCd2GNfG5gn6w9cUMAo2X~ZbyVXZ8tY02YUQr7aCltqY7J8lP-ssc~eaPmpyTmHbqNPLzbIkkpY0JjA1uehZyEHJ0xICLkHpjJTMApe8qgBRn7bmFTFnYg9Xu5UzkFQagOs6jPOkx-n2oZ5tgI48xYOGX8xXP1rGv0a3REPrLKLok1htkWtBWOWXZ9QMBMUek86Ce4nmZi7FxHNtvsTKtARHC0a0ZImpsk5A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Study Committee received a technical briefing on Medicaid nonemergency medical transportation (NEMT) and the broker model used in Georgia.

\"NEMT is the program that provides medically necessary transportation for eligible Medicaid members who have no other means of transportation available,\" James Peoples, Director of Provider Services at the Department of Community Health, told the committee. DCH divides the state into five NEMT regions and contracts with brokers (Motive Care and Verata) that, in turn, build local provider networks to deliver trips.

Peoples described modes of service (ambulatory curb‑to‑curb, wheelchair door‑to‑door, stretcher bed‑to‑bed), mileage guidelines (30 miles urban/50 miles rural for medical appointments; 15/30 for pharmacy/adult day health) and exceptions when medical necessity requires travel beyond those limits. He said brokers are paid a PMPM (per member per month) rate that covers call centers, technology and operational costs as well as trip payments to providers; the broker PMPM, and the brokers’ total annual payments, were included in materials provided to the committee.

DCH also summarized volunteer‑driver rules (adults with a valid license and insurance may be reimbursed for gas), the state’s early adoption of rideshare (Uber/Lyft) for eligible members, and ongoing work groups with skilled‑nursing, dialysis and other high‑trip facilities to reduce complaints. Representatives noted regional coverage maps appear to aggregate large rural swaths; DCH said regional boundaries were based primarily on Medicaid population per region to sustain a broker’s operations.

Lawmakers asked DCH to provide district‑level counts of Medicaid members, PMPM rates, and the brokers’ regional trip volumes and payments for further scrutiny. No vote was taken; DCH committed to following up with the committee on volunteer‑driver fluctuations and the broker reports.","The Department of Community Health explained Georgia’s Medicaid nonemergency medical transportation (NEMT) broker model, regional coverage, volunteer‑driver rules and FY‑to‑FY trip volumes and payments. Representatives asked for more granular PMPM and regional counts to evaluate costs and access in rural areas.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6765530,"Officials describe EMS zoning and 'wall time' problem; committee hears treatment‑without‑transport options",1444,6943310,8387359,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5780886-2c5df9c25e70e07a81040132b6ff1e0f&start=6943&end=8387","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5780886-2c5df9c25e70e07a81040132b6ff1e0f/thumbnail_6943310.jpg","/articles/6765530/Georgia/Officials-describe-EMS-zoning-and-wall-time-problem-committee-hears-treatmentwithouttransport-options","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6765530-a898c1e5c7cd213f93fa68155b1482b5/orig.mp4?Expires=1775972854&Signature=ix9U9hEo~-QGX9QD8ukd~KQgF6~JrJfesKOnzcF9f91vqhG5vb3cTawY0x2KVYwPAoRTJlctmWT6WXww2CyFDvR8urPilc98kPKasdkgs83Dx4nmcNTZIRuIy1RfqQVYknhpEo~ZeOJTFKzFg3WkkSf8~L4Kl2EcCrBm8zK3ehVwmflFOQcK--fVeYQwQbn5MCayy2zUf9tYIs6vJsDC-JUVVrJB4~F6jpOi0NIouCdo4HtWjTznhg~ppWRq0bjWPT9Uva8d-85fsKinPP5g3-jhX-YQP2LTjWvw1uopQY0xKTMuMZwwbHIAE~0NDzq7VS9FINVMKq7rWYhE1hCJmw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Department of Public Health officials briefed the House Study Committee on how Georgia regulates emergency medical services and described current operational challenges lawmakers should expect to confront.

Megan Andrews of DPH summarized the EMS framework: Georgia is divided into EMS zones (mostly county borders) and the regional EMS advisory councils (REMSACs) analyze complaints and performance data — including STEMI and stroke transport metrics — before recommending changes to zone providers. The REMSACs can require providers to improve or, after review, open zones to competitive proposals.

DPH officials and legislators spent much of the session discussing so‑called \"wall time,\" the period ambulances spend waiting at hospitals to transfer care. Andrews said the issue is driven by \"staffing\" and \"bed\" shortages and that long wall times remove ambulances from 911 response. \"When we're having high volumes... there's challenges with enough workforce to cover the number of patients they're trying to serve,\" Andrews said.

Policy changes under consideration include treatment without transport (reimbursing EMS for on‑scene care without hospital transport) and allowing EMS to take some patients to alternate destinations (urgent care or other clinics) under new Medicaid reimbursement codes, measures DPH said it has discussed with the Department of Community Health. Andrews said some of those changes are already being piloted or have reimbursement mechanisms under Medicaid.

Committee members asked whether increased behavioral‑health or crisis‑center capacity has reduced wall times; Andrews said the primary driver remains high volume seasons (flu/RSV/COVID) but indicated data can be run to examine mental‑health transports specifically.

The committee did not take formal action. Lawmakers requested further data on wall‑time causes, REMSAC quarterly reviews, and whether statutory or regulatory changes are needed to facilitate alternative‑destination transports while protecting patient safety and meeting federal EMTALA considerations.","DPH explained the state's EMS zoning process, regional EMS councils (REMSAC), and performance measures used to review providers. Lawmakers and DPH discussed ambulance 'wall time', workforce shortages, and emerging reimbursement options such as treatment without transport and alternate destination billing codes.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6765523,"State home‑visiting pilot expands after pilot results; officials cite higher postpartum and breastfeeding follow-up",1055,10865720,11920840,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5780886-2c5df9c25e70e07a81040132b6ff1e0f&start=10865&end=11920","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5780886-2c5df9c25e70e07a81040132b6ff1e0f/thumbnail_10865720.jpg","/articles/6765523/Georgia/State-homevisiting-pilot-expands-after-pilot-results-officials-cite-higher-postpartum-and-breastfeeding-follow-up","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6765523-71e932045e740501a21984821bd9e878/orig.mp4?Expires=1775972854&Signature=SZSTYHKw8R-lPngTcU2ng8QFhISf8Czhf~IJR4SUsAl15E-1RrhBm0-AjSlY69Ez5HZ6KGE7aWI5E~gottADtLTRHbgIg2c-O92WFCFGulNmEyJNFV2jPaucjyzVfbbsuBGt1T1vfxWNRjSoyMHuzwkzO75RABZPfgx2C5Q~L8bz5~8n1uA8KgpnWoQHgje3XS0TzpANc33R5-Xi4vdF3g2z5a9k~T-FeEfhmo1nc28fqTLTFP~3t~5tYQutKGLkH9sCIsQ0cSB~MI7Lqx-dfELGA~rzhFff831xcyXIAPB1cYkWjTqRNYKDEJEGHz323iC-iKv7z08gZYD9UADu8Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Georgia’s Department of Public Health told the House Study Committee that the state’s perinatal home‑visiting pilot has expanded quickly and is showing early positive process indicators.

\"The state gave us $1.68 million to pilot and we piloted in 21 counties in two different districts,\" Christina Trice, program director for DPH’s Home Visiting Program, said of the initial fiscal‑year 2024 appropriation; she added that an additional $1.75 million in FY25 expanded services to 50 counties, and that a further FY26 appropriation of $2.98 million would bring the program’s total state funding to about $6.42 million.

Trice described program goals that are tracked quarterly: term delivery (≥37 weeks), infant weight ≥2,500 grams, postpartum‑visit completion and breastfeeding at three months. She reported early outcomes showing 67% breastfeeding on hospital discharge and more than 80% return for postpartum visits — figures she described as promising compared with national averages.

Local home‑visiting staff explained clinical and social services delivered in the home: vitals and blood‑pressure checks, fetal‑heart monitoring, urine screening for infection, lactation support, developmental screening, case management and referrals for food, benefits and behavioral‑health services. Staff also recounted examples where home visits led to prompt hospital transfers or early referrals for specialty care, illustrating the program’s role in safety‑netting vulnerable pregnant women and infants.

Barriers remain: personnel capacity, transportation for patients, limited local behavioral‑health and substance‑use treatment beds, and appointment scheduling constraints that complicate urgent referrals from home visits. Program leaders told the committee they are developing staffing plans and recruitment for the next expansion phase and will provide quarterly performance reports to the legislature.

The committee did not vote on funding; members expressed broad interest in expanding the program statewide and asked for outcome reports and cost analyses to evaluate scalability.","DPH described rapid expansion of a home‑visiting pilot launched in 2023, funded by state appropriations, and reported early indicators of improved maternal care and follow‑up. Officials said the program has scaled from a 21‑county pilot to plans covering additional counties with further FY26 funding.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6765519,"Parent tells lawmakers Babies Can't Wait 'changed our lives' as early intervention identified seizures and sped therapies",1147,13394050,14541550,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5780886-2c5df9c25e70e07a81040132b6ff1e0f&start=13394&end=14541","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5780886-2c5df9c25e70e07a81040132b6ff1e0f/thumbnail_13394050.jpg","/articles/6765519/Georgia/Parent-tells-lawmakers-Babies-Cant-Wait-changed-our-lives-as-early-intervention-identified-seizures-and-sped-therapies","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6765519-b92d8cae170f20cf895d44710e4ac7ae/orig.mp4?Expires=1775972854&Signature=GGaqmykaNeAQDw0KFlVzj7mwaWuwYC~X55vG9DvjP8fBsQkXQkgGtxnaghiKY-XMi1s3M4eESuAq0eQtqtlfpPqIEyRFnBRDEHHNVop5FN2hwQ2n-BZSPDiB4l03wXTlGxDRh-eWSP1rwVfDuI2MEa4E8a~Dg3XD~nCJhs9kJkvs40RIOPtZN3nRpXy0E64eNB~C3eLgpGz0iYUQPrB7MzId0JhF55R139Zi6YGaE7miIXsD24zX0gkDz80vCQbxIW8o1M10gq1p-QVfqCJETW4HFr2dYTLdp92OD1kunrXhWx3eKoDuemTrD~1916MBHLdDAER8-qxwwhg70U9XOw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A parent and a policy researcher gave the House Study Committee a human perspective on early intervention services funded and administered in part by public‑health entities.

Callan Wells of the Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students summarized Babies Can't Wait as the state’s Part C early‑intervention program under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and emphasized its home‑based model and federal/state funding mix.

Ansley Hill, a mother whose son received Babies Can't Wait services, described a series of medical emergencies following premature birth and how Babies Can't Wait staff \"came to our house\" to evaluate needs, arrange occupational/physical/speech therapy, and connect the family to specialists and durable equipment. She credited a Babies Can't Wait physical therapist with noticing subtle seizure activity that led to diagnosis and a hemispherectomy; she reported the child has been seizure‑free since the surgery seven years ago.

Hill told lawmakers that the program’s home visits reduced family isolation after long NICU stays and provided concrete help (therapies, wheelchair fitting, school‑transition planning) that otherwise would have been difficult to arrange at home. She urged the committee to preserve and continue funding for early‑intervention services, saying, \"Babies Can't Wait changed our lives\".

Committee members thanked Hill for the testimony and emphasized the program’s role in supporting families and connecting medical, social and educational services. No fiscal actions were taken in the hearing; GEARS said it will provide additional recommendations at a later meeting.","A Georgia mother told the committee how Babies Can't Wait early‑intervention services delivered at home connected her family to therapy and specialists, helped identify infant seizures leading to successful surgery, and provided case management that sustained the family through prolonged NICU care.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

House committee urged to update public‑health funding formula; rural leaders cite 50‑year gap

Medicaid NEMT brief: brokers, regions and rising costs; committee asks for PMPM detail

Officials describe EMS zoning and 'wall time' problem; committee hears treatment‑without‑transport options

State home‑visiting pilot expands after pilot results; officials cite higher postpartum and breastfeeding follow-up

Parent tells lawmakers Babies Can't Wait 'changed our lives' as early intervention identified seizures and sped therapies