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Hocking County commissioners join hospital consortium to pursue increased Medicaid reimbursement; appoint local representative
Summary
Commissioners voted June 5 to join a multi‑county consortium that would impose a county‑level tax on hospital services to increase federal Medicaid reimbursement, and they appointed Commissioner Drew as the county’s representative to the consortium.
Hocking County commissioners on June 5 voted to join a multi‑county consortium that would assess a county‑level hospital tax to generate state share funding used to draw additional federal Medicaid matching dollars. The board also appointed Commissioner Drew as the county’s representative to the consortium.
Commissioners and hospital leaders described the approach as a mechanism used in other states to increase the dollars available to hospitals that serve a high share of Medicaid patients. A presenter said Medicaid reimbursements at the county hospital are currently “reimbursed at a rate of about 73%,” meaning the provider receives less than full cost for Medicaid services. The taxed funds would be remitted to the county and pooled to pursue additional federal matching funds, with an outside county auditor (identified during discussion as Muskingum County’s auditor in prior examples) managing funds and applying for reimbursement on behalf of participating counties.
The board’s discussion noted the program has been used in Texas, Florida and elsewhere and that participating counties designate a commissioner to represent them in administrative tasks. Commissioners said the county hospital — identified in the meeting materials and discussion — supported the plan and that organizers aim to have resolutions in place before the July budget cycle referenced by meeting participants.
A motion to join the consortium, sign a draft resolution prepared by outside counsel, and appoint a county commissioner to serve as Hocking County’s representative passed on a roll call vote. During roll call the transcript records the following responses: “Sandra Davidson? Yes. Jason Denofrio? Yes. Michael West? Yes.” Commissioners voted to appoint the nominee "Drew" to serve as the county representative.
Speakers emphasized that commissioners believed the program would be revenue‑neutral for local taxpayers and would be paid by the hospital as a tax remitted to the county. One commissioner stated, “At no time does any of that tax get passed on to the consumer,” and other speakers explained the mechanism: the county receives the tax from the hospital, the county (or a designated county auditor) submits it as state share and requests additional federal Medicaid matching funds, which the proponents said would result in more dollars returning to the region than the initial tax outlay.
The motion passed and commissioners directed staff to complete the county’s resolution paperwork and coordinate with neighboring counties and hospital leadership to implement the consortium arrangements.
No implementation timetable was specified beyond participants’ intention to move quickly before state and budget deadlines.
