Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Medicaid Finance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Consultants say Medicaid billing could offset some county costs; commissioners accept report, ask staff to return in 90 days
Summary
A year‑long analysis commissioned with CSH examined whether Churchill County could become a Medicaid billing entity. The board accepted the business‑case report; staff will calendar a 90‑day update and further recommendations before pursuing implementation.
The Churchill County Board of Commissioners accepted a Medicaid business‑case report from the Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH) that examined whether the county could become a Medicaid‑billable entity for certain supportive services.
Brooke Page, managing director at CSH, said the county and CSH focused a pilot on two services — non‑emergency medical transportation and juvenile justice targeted case management — and conducted a crosswalk between existing county services and Medicaid billing codes. "We partnered with Churchill County to assess a Medicaid business case in the community," Page said. She described interviews with county departments and an eight‑week pilot that tracked service recipients and Medicaid eligibility to estimate reimbursement opportunity.
CSH told the board that, based on pilot data, Medicaid reimbursements could generate additional revenue if all eligible services were billed. The presentation used the figure "23,236 thousand dollars" in remarks; the report attached to the agenda summarizes projected recoverable Medicaid revenue and a three‑year breakeven horizon when start‑up and operational costs are included. Page emphasized start‑up needs — electronic health records, staff training, Medicaid compliance and administrative overhead — and cautioned reimbursements depend on the county’s share of eligible clients. "We need to make sure that the folks who would be eligible for these services are the population that Churchill is currently seeing," she said.
Shannon Ernst, Churchill County Social Services, said the project was initiated by a previous DHHS director and noted uncertainties in the state Medicaid environment during a managed‑care rollout. Ernst offered to calendar a 90‑day return with an update and any further recommendations; commissioners approved acceptance of the report and staff agreed to bring the item back for additional consideration.
The board's acceptance of the report does not authorize funding or implementation. Commissioners instructed staff to return with a follow‑up that clarifies expected start‑up costs, which services would be phased in first and what operational changes would be required for county billing compliance.
