State mandated increases in Medicaid could add two-cents to the county tax rate next year.
The Rowan Social Services Board adopted its 2001-2002 budget Tuesday which include a jump of almost $1.3 million for the health care program.
A two-cent tax increase would represent a $20 increase on the tax bill for a house assessed for $100,000.
The health care bill will likely exceed the cost the county faces for keeping school funding at the state average — tentatively projected at an additional $1 million.
Grim-faced Social Services officials had little to say.
Lee Ann Christy, the department’s finance officer, said the state told local officials to increase the county contribution by 16 percent to meet projected costs.
One of the main factors cited in the growth rates for aged, blind and disabled populations is the extension of eligibility to include those whose income is between 85 percent and 100 percent of the federal poverty level.
Officials said Medicaid recipients also are using more services and that services for infants and children have increased 17 percent.
Christy provided a chart showing the growth in Medicaid and various other public assistance programs over the past several years.
Five years ago, in the 1996-97 fiscal year, Rowan budgeted $2.9 million for the county’s share of Medicaid. The proposed budget of $5.5 million for next year is nearly double.
Overall, the county’s share for the public assistance programs, including foster care, is expected to total $8.3 million, up from $5.7 million in 1997, an increase of nearly 46 percent.
One projected state figure is drawing considerable concern from Social Services staff.
Wilkes said the state has indicated it will provide only $22,000 for crisis heating funds, less than 10 percent of the $256,000 provided this year.
Wilkes and Christy said they hope state officials reconsider.
The department is seeking seven additional employees at a cost to the county of $171,00.
The budget proposes to hire four new income maintenance workers. The department has 5,000 active cases and is taking 150 new applications monthly. Eight caseworkers are currently employed.
Among the other requested positions is a trainer who would work with new employees and the other 41 caseworkers in the Medicaid, Food Stamp and Work First programs.
The county’s share of new equipment costs would be around $23,000. The biggest item is a new high density filing system, which Wilkes said would streamline the mammoth filing system that requires a huge part of the overcrowded building.
The $36,000 system would require only a fraction of the space now taken up by more than 150 file cabinets. The Health Department and Register of Deeds already use similar systems.
The state reimburses about 60 percent on equipment costs.
Board member Zell Setzer moved for adoption of the budget, which drew unanimous support.
The Social Services budget, along will all other county budgets, are due at the county manager’s office by Thursday.
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