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Commissioners join multi-county hospital consortium to increase Medicaid reimbursement; commissioner named representative
Summary
Hocking County commissioners voted June 5 to adopt a resolution joining a multi-county consortium that would assess a tax on local hospitals to increase federal Medicaid match; they also appointed a commissioner (Drew) as the county's representative to the consortium.
Hocking County commissioners on June 5 voted to join a multi-county hospital financing consortium and appointed a commissioner to represent the county in the project, commissioners said during the meeting.
A commissioner described the program as a mechanism used in other states (Texas, Florida, Pennsylvania) in which participating counties authorize a local tax on hospitals; counties then use the collected funds to draw additional federal Medicaid matching dollars. The presentation cited a current Medicaid reimbursement rate of roughly 73 percent for some services and said the consortium model aims to increase federal reimbursement so hospitals are reimbursed at a higher effective rate.
Commissioners discussed implementation details during the meeting, including short-term cash-flow impacts on hospitals that must remit the tax and the need for an administrative entity to manage funds and apply for federal reimbursements. One speaker described Muskingum County as the administrative manager in examples discussed, though commissioners noted consortium specifics and inter-county arrangements would be handled by the counties involved.
The board approved a resolution to join the consortium by roll-call vote and then approved a separate motion to nominate and appoint a county commissioner (referred to in the meeting as "Drew") to serve as Hocking County's representative to the consortium. Commissioners said the hospital CEO and CFO had endorsed the program during earlier meetings.
During discussion commissioners said the program should not directly raise costs for patients. One commissioner stated the hospital would remit the tax to the county; the county would forward funds to the consortium and seek federal matching dollars. The county and commissioners said the consortium model is intended to draw down additional federal funds for Medicaid reimbursement rather than to expand local taxation on residents.
Both motions passed; the board recorded roll-call votes at the meeting.
