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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 02-18-2014 - 6c 1 ORD-2014-009 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: February 18, 2014 Action Agenda Item No. 6-c SUBJECT: Fiscal Year 2013-14 Budget Amendment#5-A — Plan for Use of Enhanced Medicaid Administration Funds DEPARTMENT: Social Services PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: Nancy Coston, 919-245-2800 PURPOSE: To consider the plan from the Department of Social Services (DSS) to utilize enhanced reimbursements for Medicaid administration for Fiscal Year 2013-2014, including consideration of Budget Amendment #5-A and a request for time-limited staff, additional technology/computer equipment, staff overtime and building changes. BACKGROUND: All county departments of social services can now access enhanced reimbursements for costs related to the administration of Medicaid and related health benefits. Currently federal funds reimburse 50% of these costs, but after February 1, 2014, federal funds will reimburse 75% of the costs to complete eligibility for Medicaid using NCFAST. Based on the current reimbursements for Medicaid administration, this will increase DSS revenue for this fiscal year by approximately $160,000. This enhanced funding is not time-limited and will continue next fiscal year. To receive these funds, local agencies must provide a plan to the state outlining how these enhanced funds will be reinvested into the public assistance programs. The goal of this reinvestment is to assure that counties meet all the performance goals for issuance of Medicaid, Food and Nutrition and Work First benefits. The need for additional resources is related to the transition to NCFAST and to new requirements related to the Affordable Care Act. Although Orange County DSS has performed as well as most counties in this transition, employees are constantly struggling to stay current on cases while learning new procedures. The Orange County DSS recommends that these funds be used to fund some one-time computer enhancements and capital improvements as well as some ongoing staff costs. Specifically the agency is requesting to create one additional time-limited human services specialist through June 30, 2015 and to extend the existing three time-limited human services specialists, expiring June 30, 2014, through June 30, 2015. The agency has also been 2 overspending the agency overtime fund and is requesting to increase these funds to support the staff who have been working at night and on weekends. The total for these staff changes in Fiscal Year 2013-2014 is approximately $100,000. In the current budget, funds were requested to make modifications to both Southern Human Services and Hillsborough Commons to develop self-service resource rooms. Although this was approved in the budget, the quotes for these changes are higher than the originally budgeted amount. The agency is requesting to use $20,000 of these funds to add to the budgeted amount to create resource rooms in the lobby at each site. The agency is also requesting computers, including some laptops, to allow staff to work at homes and at outpost sites. In addition some funds are requested to help equip the resource rooms and to equip the training room, given the ongoing need to train staff on NCFAST. Some additional printers and scanners are also needed to increase staff efficiency. The total for all of these items is anticipated to be below $40,000. The staff at DSS believes that this plan will help the agency meet the expectations in the public assistance programs and meet the state's requirements for a plan. FINANCIAL IMPACT: This plan utilizes additional revenue available to DSS for eligibility processing and will not require additional County funds in Fiscal Year 2014 or Fiscal Year 2015. The only requirement at this time is a County plan for reinvesting the funds to assure that DSS meets the processing standards for Medicaid, Work First and Food and Nutrition while implementing NCFAST. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board approve the plan from DSS, approve Budget Amendment #5-A for the additional Medicaid revenue of $160,000, establish one (1) time-limited Human Services Specialist effective February 18, 2014 through June 30, 2015, extend three (3) existing time limited Human Services Specialists through June 30, 2015, fund capital for additional computer/technology and building changes and fund additional overtime at DSS.