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Commissioners vote to join hospital tax consortium to seek greater Medicaid reimbursement
Summary
On June 5 the Hocking County commissioners approved a resolution to join a multi-county consortium that would assess participating hospitals and use those funds to claim larger federal Medicaid matching reimbursements; the board also appointed a county representative to the consortium.
Hocking County commissioners voted on June 5 to join a multi-county consortium that would levy a tax on participating hospitals and use the collected funds to pursue additional federal Medicaid matching dollars. Commissioners also appointed a county representative to serve on the consortium.
Commissioners said the model, used in other states, directs hospital-paid taxes to the county level, where counties or a managing county apply for enhanced Medicaid reimbursement. At the meeting, commissioners said the program is intended to increase the effective reimbursement rate for Medicaid services at the county hospital; staff cited a current Medicaid reimbursement level of about 73 percent for some services.
Commissioners discussed administration of the program and asked whether a lead county would manage the pooled funds and the state reimbursement application. The discussion referenced Muskingum County in the role of managing funds and applying for federal reimbursement on behalf of the consortium, though commissioners did not present a final written management contract at the meeting.
The board approved a motion to adopt the consortium resolution language and to join as a county. Commissioners also appointed a county representative (Drew) to serve as Hocking County's member on the consortium. Hospital leadership (the CEO and CFO) had previously endorsed the approach, according to commissioners.
Vote: The motion to join the consortium and appoint Drew carried on a roll-call vote recorded at the meeting (all commissioners voting yes). Commissioners said the county does not expect the program to raise costs for patients or county taxpayers; commissioners described the funds as hospital-paid and intended to be pooled to increase federal drawdown.
Ending: County staff will follow up with consortium organizers and provide written resolution language and any required administration details for future meetings.
