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HI ill'Il £~RIILIH A <br /> <br />TO: <br />FROM: <br />DATE: <br />SUB.CT: <br /> <br />Frank Clifton, County Manager <br />Jim Cook, Social Services Director <br />12-11-00 <br />Budget Amendment Request for 12-18-00 BOC Meeting <br /> <br /> I am writing to ask that you arrange for the Board of Commissioners to consider <br />the attached budget amendment request at its meeting of 12-18-00. This amendment <br />would authorize the creation of three income maintenance caseworker positions using <br />new federal funds allocated to the Department and funds from NorthEast Medical Center. <br />No County funding is requested. <br /> <br />Background <br /> <br /> The Department has experienced a substantial increase in its caseload of <br />predominately low-income working families receiving Medicaid, food stamps, child day <br />care subsidies, and other forms of non-cash assistance. This assistance supports the work <br />efforts of low-income families. The attached chart entitled "Ongoing" presents the <br />eighteen-month growth in this caseload from 3838 cases in April 1999 to 5115 cases in <br />October 2000, an increase of some 34% for the family Medicaid and family Food Stamp <br />Programs. The number of families receiving cash welfare assistance has, of course, <br />continued to decline to just over 300 families through the Department's successful New <br />Focus prevention program. The largest single factor causing the increase in the Medicaid <br />and Food Stamp Program caseloads has probably been the activities surrounding the NC <br />Health Choice Program. Outreach for this Program has led to the enrollment of over <br />1000 Medicaid eligible children in addition to the nearly 1000 who have qualified for <br />Health Choice. The increased caseloads have strained the capacity of both staffwho take <br />applications, and staff who do periodic eligibility reviews. Three additional staff <br />members are needed. <br /> <br /> Cabarrus County, like all North Carolina counties, has received an allocation of <br />new federal funds which can be used to provide enhanced match for the outstationing of <br />Medicaid eligibility staff. The attached "DMA Administrative Letter" describes this <br />funding, and lists Cabarrus County's allocation for the current year. <br /> <br /> The Department has reached agreement with NorthEast Medical Center to provide <br />25% of the cost ($8,454 annually) ofoutstationing an income maintenance caseworker in <br />the hospital's emergency room. The Department has reached agreement with the <br /> <br /> Del)artment of Social Se~wiccs <br /> 1303 South Camion Blvd. Kannapolis. NC 21¢083 (704)939-1400 <br /> <br /> <br />