County warns one-year authorizations and administrative workload will affect recertifications and wait-list sequencing

Committee members asked how the transition to one-year authorizations and increased caseloads would affect families and county operations. John Beavis told the committee authorizations are now a one-year requirement, changing prior county practice and reducing administrative churn but committing the county to funding families for a full year.

Beavis described the operational impacts: one-year authorizations increase administrative workload (income verification, eligibility redetermination and payments) and require careful budget forecasting. He also noted the county moved toward electronic funds transfer in 2025 to make provider payments more efficient: "in 2025, with the support of the state, we move towards to electronic funds transfer...once a week, we process...authorized electronic funds transfer," Beavis said.

Why it matters: one-year authorizations mean families retain care stability for the authorization period but can also lead to a larger fiscal commitment that complicates drawing down the wait list; the county must verify ongoing eligibility before allocating slots and will need staffing adjustments to handle higher recertification volume.