Committees back $189,000 supplemental to hire 11 HHS infrastructure positions; council seeks six‑month revenue report

Montgomery County council committees recommended a $189,000 supplemental appropriation to the FY2025 operating budget to begin hiring 11 Department of Health and Human Services infrastructure positions, with the department committing to a follow‑up performance report.

Ms. Clemens Johnson described the packet: the request would fund 11 new positions, of which six are prioritized as revenue generating (front‑desk staff, an accountant, billing coders and a social worker who can bill) and five are infrastructure roles that do not directly generate revenue. Two previously proposed positions were replaced in the request by two school‑health nurse managers to meet community‑school requirements.

Mr. Hodge, speaking for HHS, said the county currently sees services provided and claims submitted but receives no reimbursement from many insurers because the county is not an in‑network provider. "We bill the insurance companies and get $0 back, because we are considered not, in network providers," he said, arguing that MOUs with managed care organizations (MCOs) and improved billing infrastructure will change that.

Mr. Hodge told committee members the department intends to hire the six revenue‑generating positions first so the county can begin collections sooner; those revenues are expected to offset the positions’ costs. He gave a target example in committee testimony, saying that initial changes could increase revenues by as much as $1,000,000 if claims and contracts perform as projected, but acknowledged that exact results are uncertain and that the department will return with data.

Councilmembers pressed for clarity on the standard of success: Councilmember Friesen distinguished two different standards — whether the new positions individually pay for themselves, or whether the positions’ costs are absorbed by broader revenue improvements — and requested position‑type revenue breakdowns. HHS agreed to provide baseline reimbursement data as of July 1 and a six‑month follow up so the council can evaluate whether the revenue increases meet projections.

Members also asked about hiring feasibility and contingency plans if revenue ramps do not meet expectations. Mr. Hodge said the fiscal positions (accountant, front‑desk staff) are easier to recruit than licensed clinicians and that the department is pursuing MOUs and county contracting steps; he noted state review may affect timing for some agreements.

The committees recommended the supplemental to the full council without objection, with members stipulating that HHS return with the requested financial performance data to inform FY26 budget decisions.