Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Health Department seeks enrollment staff, billing manager and school‑health expansion in FY27 budget
Summary
Department of Health presenters asked the Council to fund FY27 positions including Medicaid eligibility staff, medical billing roles, REACH case managers, 7 school health FTEs and one-time capital for septic system enhancements; officials said additional revenue from improved billing could offset personnel costs.
Dr. Toni Gedden and budget analyst Marika Hannam presented the Department of Health’s FY27 operating and capital proposals to the County Council on May 12, requesting a mix of recurring and one-time funds to shore up eligibility, billing and community programs.
Key operating requests include three full‑time eligibility and enrollment specialists plus a lead and one office clerk to staff two enrollment teams in Glen Burnie and Annapolis related to projected Medicaid workload changes; the package for those positions was presented as $267,300. Gedden said that better staffing for eligibility will help residents maintain coverage as state rules change.
The department proposed a new medical billing manager and an additional biller; internal estimates suggest improved billing practices could generate about $340,000 in additional revenue that the county would receive, offsetting the $167,800 cost for those two positions. Hannam (Budget Office) described a conservative budgeting approach for grants (using 75% of prior awards as a planning factor) to avoid overstating appropriations before federal/state awards are certified.
Program funding requests include two REACH program managers (Residents Accessing Community Health) to handle up to 1,000 new members at a projected cost of $124,300, and seven new school‑health FTEs to support two new preschool programs and the New Village Academy (estimated $439,600). The department also asked to expand gun‑violence intervention programming using a $1,000,000 federal earmark plus $245,100 in one‑time county funding and $90,000 recurring support for an existing West County program, totaling a $335,100 ask for FY27.
Capital proposals include $3,000,000 for septic system enhancements consistent with the county’s failed sewage and private well fund program, $80,000 for a failed-sewage and private well fund, and $150,000 for a demo/building code initiative — requests the presenters said align with current approved county programs.
Council members asked about an $8M apparent year‑over‑year decrease in appropriations; Budget Office analyst Marika Hannam explained it reflected a change in how grant appropriations were reported, not an actual cut in services or awards. Hannam said the new method lists planning-level grant appropriations at 75% of prior awards and will be adjusted after official awards are received and certified.
Presenters asked the Council to consider funding these staffing and program changes to sustain service continuity as Medicaid, school and community needs evolve; they agreed to provide follow‑up details on specific salary rates and projected billing revenue.
