Prince George's County work group presses for dedicated Health Assures funding, asks health department to report on administration risks

Prince George's County Health Assures work group members and representatives of local federally qualified health centers said at a virtual meeting Oct. 1 that immediate county funding and clearer administration are needed to prevent service cuts as federal and private programs scale back coverage.

The work group, tasked with recommending funding and administration for the county's Health Assures program and with advising on a broader Prince George's CARES primary-care initiative, heard from FQHC leaders who described growing urgency from federal and charitable cutbacks and a lack of transparency about county contract allocations and invoicing.

Members said the group should recommend a dedicated general-fund allocation to sustain FQHC capacity. Anya Makarova, advisor to the Prince George's County Board of Health, summarized the group's charge: "this particular work group... has a twofold assignment. One is really to provide recommendations with regards to funding and administration of the county's health insurance program," and the other is to advise on overall primary care services for county residents.

Why it matters: several participants said reduced federal support and shrinking charitable programs will push more uninsured people onto FQHCs. George Escobar, chief of programs and services at CASA, said the difference since the group last met is "the urgency. Again, I think we have... looked into the various models that exist. This is not something that's not attainable. The urgency is there. It's now." Jeff Kirkab, interim CEO/CFO of Greater Baton Medical Services, described an operating environment where earlier funding already fell short and current cuts are worsening provider capacity: "there's nothing that I have seen that is helping those without insurance. . . we're faced with nothing but cuts all along the way from the state."

Short-term and long-term funding options: the group reiterated a short-term funding target of $5,000,000 for Health Assures plus administrative costs, a figure discussed in prior meetings as a restoration toward the program's higher COVID-era funding level. Several participants said $5 million would not fully meet need; some speakers urged a multi-year, higher-capital goal in the range of $20,000,000 to build a more comprehensive Prince George's CARES system over time. As one participant put it, "5,000,000 should be our starting point." The transcript records that current county funding for fiscal year 2026 was described as $2,000,000 during the meeting, and speakers also referred to prior funding levels (including $1,000,000 current baseline and earlier $4,000,000–$5,000,000 allocations).

Administration and contract issues: the group discussed two administration models: (1) contract a third party to run Health Assures with the county health department providing oversight, or (2) have the health department administer the program directly. Several FQHC leaders and budget staff said the limited FY26 amount ($2,000,000) makes a third-party contract less feasible and that the health department may be the practical administrator at current funding levels. Participants also reported a practical problem: contracts for the FY26 funds had not been issued by the health department at the time of the meeting, leaving FQHCs unable to submit invoices. Sonia Bridal, CEO of CCI Health Services, warned that reimbursement "just covers our service at a different rate," and described that county reimbursements represent a portion of providers' costs and vary by center.

Health department risk and next steps: a participant from the county executive's office summarized an outstanding concern: "the current design of Health Assures might put the health department at risk for some of the federal funding that they administer." The work group asked the health department to present its analysis of those risks and of program design implications at the next meeting; members set Oct. 22 for the next convening. Work group staff said they will follow up with FQHCs, the Office of Management and Budget and the health department to collect additional input and to refine draft recommendations.

Votes and procedural items: the meeting approved the minutes from the June 25 meeting by voice vote (motion moved and seconded; recorded as "aye") and later voted to adjourn (motion moved and seconded; recorded as "aye"). The transcript does not record named roll-call votes for either motion.

What was not decided: the group did not finalize the exact dollar recommendation to include in its report; speakers suggested either endorsing $5,000,000 as a short-term floor plus administrative funding and offering a larger multi-year goal (participants cited roughly $20,000,000) for a comprehensive Prince George's CARES program, or presenting a range for county decision-makers. The work group also deferred a decision on which administration model to recommend until the health department's analysis is presented.

Next steps: staff will solicit written feedback and updated budget/allocation information from FQHCs and county offices before the next meeting, when the health department will be asked to present a formal analysis of the risks and administrative implications of operating Health Assures under the current design. The work group's lead said she will incorporate FQHC input into a draft report for review at that meeting.