Buncombe County Board of Health adopts FY26 fee schedule; director authorized to make midyear changes and Helene fee relief included

Summary

The Board voted to adopt the county health department's FY26 billing guide and fee schedule, approving minor rate adjustments and a provision to extend fee reductions to residents whose homes were damaged by Tropical Storm Helene; the health director retains authority to make midyear changes to align with reimbursement rates.

The Buncombe County Board of Health voted to adopt the health department's Fiscal Year 2026 billing guide and fee schedule at its April meeting, approving year-over-year rate updates and adding language enabling the health director to implement midyear adjustments.

Paul Watson, operations manager for the health department, presented the annual billing guide and fee schedule. He told board members the package is required to be adopted annually by both the Board of Health and the Board of County Commissioners and that the 2026 schedule reflects minor changes: 47 listed items had price changes (many tied to increases in vaccine and family-planning reimbursement rates), sliding-fee updates to align with federal poverty guidelines, and a billing-frequency change for accounts with outstanding balances.

Key clarifications given during…

Buncombe County Board of Health adopts FY26 fee schedule; director authorized to make midyear changes and Helene fee relief included

Summary

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