Travis County Commissioners Court
August 10, 2004
Item 25
Number 25. Consider and take appropriate action on policy and budget issues related to the rural medical assistance program for f.y. '04.
>> good afternoon, judge, Commissioners. Sherri fleming, executive manager for health and human services. We have before to you renew our assertion that we have an expectation that the rural medical assistance program will exceed its approved budget for f.y. '04 and that we see trends in utilization of this program in addition to some increased costs that are causing budget overruns in this program. So we have provided in your backup a request for an ear mark on the reserves for this program of $350,000. I believe p.b.o. Is here to provide you a source of funds for that request.
>> hopefully it's already in the allocated reserve, right?
>> there are sufficient funds beyond ear marks in general fund allocated reserves for the 350,000.
>> if we ear mark it, I guess that puts a little fence around it and will keep it from being used for something else. And we think we'll need this based on trends?
>> that's correct, judge.
>> move we establish the ear mark for $350,000 for health and human services. This would be rmap basically.
>> yes.
>> are we going to get into the discussion related to recommendation related to the benefit hrefpls or is that a -- levels or is that a separate discussion? This was originally part of a two-fer item last week about the shortfall and some rmap policy benefit filth changes. Is this strictly going to be about the one issue, judge?
>> 21% versus the 100%?
>> more the difference between the city level of benefits versus the county level of benefits.
>> those were the caps?
>> well, they had like prescriptions capped at three. We didn't.
>> there was some question about whether making that change would benefit us this year. We think it's something to ear mark. It's certainly something the board should look at and that's on our list of important issues.
>> got it. That's really the question.
>> the ear mark really. When we think -- if we do nothing, we think this will hit us anyway, it just makes sense to put the fence around it.
>> got you.
>> discussion? All in favor say aye. That passes by unanimous vote.
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Friday, October 28, 2005 9:11 AM