DCH Georgia Department of Community 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 has three attached agencies: the Georgia Composite Medical Board, the Georgia Board for Physician Workforce and the Georgia Drugs and Narcotics Agency. DCH also houses the Georgia Board of Dentistry and the Georgia Board of Pharmacy. The DCH 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 226,700 children in Georgia. On an average business day, DCH pays out $35.3 million for Medicaid and PeachCare for Kids benefits and $12.38 million for SHBP benefits. Healthcare Facility Regulation inspects, monitors, licenses, registers and certifies more than 14,000 health care facilities in Georgia. In FY 2013, DCH's Office of the Inspector General recovered nearly $38.5 million, including overpayments to Medicaid providers and global settlements. For the latest news and information about the Georgia Department of Community Health, subscribe to our e-newsletter at dch-i@dch.ga.gov. 2 Peachtree Street, NE Atlanta, Georgia 30303 404-656-4507 www.dch.georgia.gov DCH 1-15 100 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 five 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 children living in Georgia whose family income is up to 247 percent of the Federal Poverty Level. 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 division performing federal certification inspections in health care facilities participating in the Medicare and/or Medicaid programs. The division also manages GaMap2Care,SM an online search tool to assist families, patients, caregivers and providers in their selection of licensed health care facilities. The site can be accessed through www.GaMap2Care.info. To learn more about HFR, visit www.dch.georgia.gov/hfr. 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 to meet meaningful use requirements. Demonstration Grant for Testing Experience and Functional Assessment Tools (TEFT) Four-year grant awarded by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to test quality measurement tools and demonstrate e-health in Medicaid long-term services and supports. The Statewide Health Information Network (GaHIN) Provides the network connectivity that enables the secure exchange of health information between authorized participants on the network. In July 2014, DCH transitioned the operations and technology of the statewide HIE to GaHIN. For more information, visit www.dch.georgia.gov/health-information-technology. Beginning in 2014, children, youth and young adults in foster care, children and youth receiving adoption assistance, plus certain youth in the juvenile justice system, were enrolled and cared for through a single Care Management Organization to improve access to and coordination of care. The Aged, Blind and Disabled population receives care on a FFS basis and is slated to transition to a voluntary care coordination model. To learn more about Georgia's Medicaid and PeachCare for Kids programs, visit www.dch.georgia.gov/medicaid. State Health Benefit Plan The State Health Benefit Plan (SHBP) provides health insurance coverage to eligible active and former state employees, teachers, school system personnel, and their dependents. The SHBP is actually three plans: the State Employees Plan, the Teachers Plan, and the Public School Employees Plan. As of January 1, 2014, SHBP covered more than 625,000 lives. Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA), High-Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) and Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) options are offered to SHBP members and their eligible family members. Medicare Advantage options are also offered to eligible former employees and dependents enrolled in Medicare. To learn more about SHBP, visit www.dch.georgia.gov/shbp. State Office of Rural Health 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. SORH's office is located in Cordele, Ga. Major programs include developing Georgia Medicaid's Telehealth policies and utilization in areas where there is a shortage of specialists, recruiting physicians to rural areas, helping sustain the state's Critical Access Hospitals, and creating and managing training programs for Emergency Medical Services personnel. For information, visit www.dch.georgia.gov/state-office-rural-health.