To: Board of County Commissioners
Through: Cheryl Ternes, Director, Human Services Department
Prepared By:
prepared
Bob Prevost, Deputy Director, Human Services Department
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presenter
Presenter: Cheryl Ternes, Director Human Services Department; Bob Prevost, Deputy Director Human Services Department
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Subject:
title
2:00 PM *Recognition and Incentive Payments for Human Services Community Support Services and Operations staff
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Purpose and Request:
recommended action
The Department of Human Services (DHS) is providing information and seeking direction. The DHS received $1,093,505 in earned Medicaid Incentives for SFY 2023/2024. The DHS would like to recognize each Full Time Employee (FTE) in the Community and Child Support Services (CCSS) Division and in the Operations Division, the staff who work to ensure all documents are imaged into our HSConnects system, using Medicaid Incentive funds. The DHS is requesting approval of the BOCC to use a total of $259,949 for the CCSS Division and Operations Division employee’s recognition.
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Background and Discussion: Beginning in 2015 for SFY 2014/15, the DHS received Medicaid Incentives dollars for meeting all of the Medicaid Program requirements. The Medicaid Incentives have been received every year since then and the BOCC has been informed and approved the transfer or use of each year’s Medicaid Incentives. We would like to reward each employee involved with a $750 payment, grossed up. Staff in the CCSS Division and Operations Division have dealt with significant workload and/or caseload increases due to the pandemic and other societal impacts. These payments will help us to recognize the additional work and help us to retain the staff that we have. There are 297 FTE in the department that qualify for the recognition. The timeline, amount, transfer and various uses are depicted in Table 1 (attached). In 2024, DHS was informed we met the requirements for Medicaid Incentives for SFY 2023/2024 and have been awarded $1,093,505.
During the SFY 2023/2024, staff were required to review all Medicaid cases that were added during the pandemic, in addition to their normal work. Arapahoe County was the only large county to maintain timeliness in Medicaid application processing during this time, and these efforts, combined with performing at a high level throughout the program has resulted in the largest amount of incentives ever received by the county.
Fiscal Impact: The Medicaid Incentive funds can be used for any purpose and do not require a match. This request to use Medicaid Incentive funds will not require a budget supplemental as the current Human Services budget will cover the expenditures. We anticipate using $259,949 Medicaid incentives. There will be no impact to the current budget or County General Fund and will reduce the Human Services fund balance by $259,949 for the incentives to staff. The remaining balance of the incentives will increase the Human Services fund balance by $833,556 if approved by the BOCC. The estimated 2024 year-end fund balance, including the net amount of the incentives, would be $9.24m. Please note that at a subsequent study session will include additional recommendations for fund allocation. If approved the amount going to fund balance would be reduced to $133,556 resulting in an ending fund balance of $8.54m.
Alternatives: The BOCC may use incentive funds for whatever purpose they deem appropriate. The full incentive amount can be transferred to the General Fund. Please note the Human Services budget is currently forecasting an ending Fund Balance of $8.41m for CFY 2024. Alternately, the BOCC can choose to leave the funds in the Human Services fund balance and determine if other needs may come up in the year.
Alignment with Strategic Plan:
☒Be fiscally sustainable
☒Provide essential and mandated service
☒Be community focused
Staff Recommendation: Use $259,949 of the Medicaid Incentive funds to provide recognition and retention payments in the amount of $750, grossed up, to all staff in the CCSS and Operations Divisions of the Human Services Department.
Concurrence: Michael Valentine, Deputy County Attorney; Suzanna Dobbins, Human Services Finance Division Manager