Wichita County raises hospital mandatory payment cap to 6% to preserve federal matching funds

Wichita County Commissioners Court held a public hearing on June 24 and voted to authorize a resolution amending the fiscal year 2025 mandatory payment rate for the Wichita County Health Provider Participation Program to 6%.

Consultant Bob Pert told the court the county had initially requested a 5.76% rate in January but that a pending congressional bill could freeze the statutory limit at 6%. He described the change as a precaution to preserve the county’s ability to draw matching federal funds. “This is not a tax on our taxpayers,” Pert said. “This is a tax from the local hospitals only. Wichita County does not keep anything but a $20,000 administrative fee.”

Pert said the program channels hospital payments through the county to the state and federal governments to draw additional federal matching funds that ultimately benefit uninsured and Medicaid populations locally. County staff said the change in the rate will not impose new charges on patients or general taxpayers and that local hospitals contacted — including Encompass, Highcrest, Red River and West — were supportive of the proposal.

Officials noted an estimated difference tied to the change of about $1,300,000 on the program side and said the county has moved program accounting into a custodial fund for clearer reporting. The court moved and approved the resolution by a unanimous 5-0 vote.

A public hearing was held earlier in the meeting; no members of the public addressed the court on the item during the hearing.