Prince George's County work group weighs Montgomery Cares model as Health Assurance funding remains tight

Prince George's County Council health work group members on a county virtual meeting reviewed Montgomery County's Montgomery Cares program this month as they seek ways to stabilize and expand the county's Health Assurance program.

Diane Young, of the Prince George's County Health Department, presented findings after meeting Montgomery Cares staff and said the Montgomery program had "a total budget of nearly $16,000,000" for FY25 and served about "22,000 residents annually" with "over 60,000 visits a year." Young said Montgomery Cares is managed by the Primary Care Coalition with county oversight and includes an eligibility system, annual recertification and outcome reporting that Prince George's' current reimbursement model lacks.

The Health Assurance program in Prince George's County currently reimburses at $180 per visit, Young said, compared with Montgomery Cares' reimbursement of about $102.50 per visit. Young also flagged differences in administrative scale: Montgomery Cares' administering organization has roughly two dozen staff supporting pharmacy access, specialty referral coordination and data reporting, while Prince George's County currently has a much smaller staffing footprint…