DCH quick guide : an overview of the Georgia Department of Community Health

DCH Quick Guide
An Overview of the Georgia Department of
Community Health
Dedicated to A Healthy Georgia.

Medicaid
DCH is the state agency responsible for the administration of the Medicaid program for adults and children and State Children's Health Insurance Program (S-CHIP)/PeachCare for Kids in Georgia.
Medicaid: Provides broad health care coverage to certain lower
income populations Offers special community-based coverage for certain disabled and
elder populations Extends supplemental coverage to lower-income Medicare beneficiaries Offsets the high costs of institutional care for lower and moderate-
income Georgians
Medicaid services are delivered through Care Management Organizations (CMO) and Fee-for-service (FFS) arrangements. Currently, the CMOs provide services to various populations, including Low-income Medicaid (LIM), and PeachCare for Kids. Participants in the state's six Medicaid waivers and those who are Aged, Blind and Disabled receive care on a Fee-for-service basis.
PeachCare for Kids provides health insurance for uninsured Georgia children whose family income is up to 235 percent of the Federal Poverty Level.
To learn more about Georgia's Medicaid and PeachCare for Kids programs, visit www.dch.georgia.gov/medicaid.

Healthcare Facility Regulation
The Healthcare Facility Regulation Division (HFR) protects the residents of Georgia by ensuring the delivery of safe, accessible, affordable and quality health care services through effective and efficient planning and regulation.
HFR analyzes and determines the need for health care facilities and services through the Office of Health Planning, administering the state's certificate of need program and the hospital financial surveys
HFR also licenses, monitors and inspects a variety of such facilities and services through Health Care Licensing. The division investigates complaints about the care received in health care facilities.
HFR is the state survey agency performing federal certification inspections in health care facilities participating in the Medicare and/or Medicaid programs.
The division recently launched GaMap2Care,SM an online search tool to assist families, patients, caregivers and providers in their selection of licensed health care facilities.
To learn more about HFR, visit dch.georgia.gov/hfr.
State Health Benefit Plan
The State Health Benefit Plan (SHBP) provides health insurance coverage to state employees, teachers, school system personnel, retirees and their dependents. It is actually three plans in one state employees, teachers, and public school employees. As of October 1, 2012, SHBP covered more than 660,000 lives.

Both Standard and Wellness plans are offered in Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA), High-Deductible Health Plan (HDPD) and Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) options for employees, employees plus spouse, employees plus children and families.
The state's Wellness Plan, introduced in 2012, is the largest in the nation.
To learn more about SHBP, visit dch.georgia.gov/shbp.
Health Information Technology
Health Information Technology (Health IT) leads the strategic initiatives of the state in health information technology adoption and health information exchange (HIE). Health IT's mission is to increase the efficiency of health care delivery, improve health care outcomes and reduce overall health care costs. Programs and initiatives include:
The Medicaid Electronic Health Records (EHR) Incentive Program Pays federally funded incentives to qualified Medicaid providers who adopt, implement or upgrade certified electronic health record technology.
The Statewide Health Information Exchange (HIE) Enables secure exchange of critical health information.
Innovation and Challenge Grants Establishes a consumer-mediated exchange for Chatham County patients to access their health information, and a cancer patient-centered health information exchange in partnership with the Georgia Cancer Coalition in Rome (Floyd County).
For more information, visit dch.georgia.gov/health-information-technology.
State Office of Rural Health
Serving Georgia's rural areas, the State Office of Rural Health (SORH) works to improve access to health care in rural and underserved areas and to reduce health status disparities. It is located in Cordele, Ga.
For information, visit dch.georgia.gov/state-office-rural-health.

Georgia Department of Community Health
Through effective planning, purchasing and oversight, the Department of Community Health (DCH) provides access to affordable, quality health care to millions of Georgians, including some of the state's uninsured and most vulnerable populations.
DCH is the lead agency for Medicaid and PeachCare for Kids. DCH also administers the State Health Benefit Plan, Healthcare Facility Regulation and Health Information Technology in Georgia. In all, the department is responsible for access to health care for one in four Georgians.
With a combined federal and state budget of more than $12 billion annually, the department is one of the state's largest. It has 600-plus employees and contractors who work at 2 Peachtree Street and across the state.
DCH is governed by a nine-member Board of Community Health. Board members, appointed by the governor and confirmed by the state senate, have policy-making authority for the agency. The board meets on the second Thursday of each month.
DCH also has two attached agencies: the Georgia Composite Medical Board and the Georgia Board for Physician Workforce.
The Georgia Department of Community Health is committed to a lean and responsive state government that promotes the health and prosperity of its citizens through innovative and effective delivery of quality health care programs.
The Georgia Department of Community Health is dedicated to A Healthy Georgia.

Fast Facts About DCH
DCH programs provide access to health care for one in four Georgians through Medicaid and the State Health Benefit Plan.
The department's budget, including federal and state funds, is more than $12 billion annually.
PeachCare for Kids provides health insurance for more than 216,000 children in Georgia.
The Wellness Plan of the State Health Benefit Plan is the largest in the nation.
On an average business day, DCH pays out $32.8 million for Medicaid and PeachCare for Kids benefits and $12 million for SHBP benefits.
Healthcare Facility Regulation inspects, monitors, licenses, registers and certifies more than 14,000 health care facilities in Georgia.
In FY 2011, DCH's Office of the Inspector General recovered more than $36 million, including overpayments to Medicaid providers and global settlements, and opened more than 2,000 new Medicaid and PeachCare for Kids cases.
Disclaimer: All facts and figures shown in this brochure are accurate as of November 1, 2012.
For the latest news and information about the Georgia Department of Community Health, subscribe to our e-newsletter at dch-i@dch.ga.gov.

DCH 11-1-12 500

2 Peachtree Street, NE Atlanta, Georgia 30303
404-656-4507 www.dch.georgia.gov