A snapshot of Georgia: Indigent Care Trust Fund, a program of the Georgia Department of Community Health [Dec. 2007]

A Program Of The Georgia Department Of Community Health
A SNAPSHOT OF GEORGIA
Indigent Care Trust Fund

Overview
The Indigent Care Trust Fund (ICTF) was established in 1990 to expand Medicaid eligibility and services, support rural and other health care providers, primarily hospitals, which serve the medically indigent, and fund primary health care programs for medically indigent Georgians. The ICTF is an umbrella program which contains the Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) program, nursing home provider fees, Care Management Organization (CMO) Quality Assessment Fees; Breast Cancer Tag Fees, ambulance rates and other uninsured/indigent initiatives. With ICTF funding, even uninsured people who do not qualify for Medicaid may receive health care from participating hospitals.
Program Description

Qualifying For DSH & ICTF
To qualify for DSH, a hospital must satisfy both federal criteria
n Provide non-emergency obstetrical services to Medicaid recipients (if those services were provided on or before December 22, 1987)
n Have a Medicaid inpatient utilization rate of at least one percent

DSH is a federal program that works to increase health care access for the poor. Hospitals that treat a disproportionate number of Medicaid and other indigent patients qualify for DSH payments through the Medicaid program based on the hospital's estimated uncompensated cost of services to the uninsured. DSH represents the largest component of

Using a formula based on information about the hospital's estimated uncompensated Medicaid and uninsured care, the Division of Financial Management determines the payment amount each hospital

ICTF payments distributed through Georgia Medicaid.

is eligible to receive and annually

distributes DSH funds to eligible

Georgia statute requires Nursing Home provider fees remitted to the

hospitals.

ICTF to be matched with federal Medicaid funds and made available

for the provision of support to nursing homes that disproportionately serve the

medically indigent. Likewise, Georgia statute requires CMO quality assessment

fees to be remitted to the ICTF and to be matched with federal Medicaid funds

and made available to support Medicaid benefit payments.

Proceeds from the sale of breast cancer license tags are deposited into the ICTF and are to be used to fund cancer screening and treatment related programs for those persons who are medically indigent and may have breast cancer. Such programs may include education, breast cancer screening, grants-in-aid to breast cancer victims, pharmacy assistance programs for breast cancer victims, and other projects to encourage public support for the special license plate and the activities which it funds.

Funding Indigent Care Trust Fund

Programs of the ICTF are funded through appropriated state funds; voluntary intergovernmental transfers from participating public hospitals; nursing home provider fees; CMO quality assessment fees; Breast Cancer tag revenues; Certificate of Need penalties; ambulance licensure fees. Georgia statute requires that ICTF contributions be matched with federal funds or any other funds from a public source or charitable organization.

2 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, Ga 30303 w www.dch.georgia.gov

December 2007