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HHS committee approves contract increases, flags high-cost residential placements
Summary
The Richland County Community and Health Services Standards Committee voted to forward provider contract amendments for several residential placements to the county board and discussed the county—s exposure to very high daily placement costs and reimbursement processes.
The Richland County Community and Health Services Standards Committee voted Sept. 4 to send several health and human services provider contract amendments to the county board and discussed the county—s exposure to very high daily costs for court-ordered residential placements.
The committee approved forwarding a proposed increase for Bakari Residential to a $125,000 annual contract, despite there being no youth in that placement at the time. Britney, Child and Youth Services staff, told the committee, “we are just requesting, the increase to 125,000. We do not have, anyone placed at this facility at this time, that youth left in May.”
Committee members also discussed Roots Residential (a CCS facility) and a new group-home contract for a consumer placed at Restine Residential in Madison. Brandy, Behavioral Health staff, said the county moved the consumer from a prior placement that cost $2,800 a day and that the new contract is for “$2,100 a day.” She noted that a significant portion of such placements is billed through the county—s Comprehensive Community Services (CCS)/Medicaid program.
Why it matters: the committee highlighted both short-term budget impacts and longer accounting processes that determine the county—s ultimate cost for high-level placements. Members asked for future detail on the county—s final net cost after state reconciliations.
Details and committee direction: the committee approved motions to forward the contract amendments (including Bakari and Roots) to county board for final approval. A motion to pass "resolution number 25" was moved and seconded and the committee voted to forward it. The mover and seconder were not identified by full name in the meeting transcript.
Officials described reimbursement mechanics staff use to reduce the county share. Brandy and other staff explained that many placement costs flow through Medicaid/CCS and a state reconciliation process (referred to in the meeting as the WIMCER process) that can return funds to the county, often with final payments posted the following December.
Committee members asked staff to return with a clearer breakdown of how much the county ultimately pays per day for these placements after Medicaid billing and any WIMCER reconciliation. One committee member said that understanding the final county cost would be important for future budget planning.
Ending: the committee sent the provider contract amendments to the county board and requested a future agenda item showing the detailed, year-end reconciliation and the net county cost for recent high-cost placements.
