Rule 111-3-12-.02 - Method for County Participation in the Program(1) Procedure for County Participation: (a) For a county to initiate participation in the Program, the governing authority of such county, by formal resolution or by contract agreement, must satisfy the provisions of 111-3-12-.02(2).(b) For continued participation in the Program, the county must comply with the Rules and Regulations governing the administration of the Program, and the governing authority of the county annually must adopt a renewal resolution or renew its contract agreement. The annual resolution or contract must satisfy the provisions of 111-3-12-.02(2) and the required document must be filed with the Georgia Department of Community Health on or before the first day of April to assure participation for the entire ensuing fiscal year.(c) The Georgia Department of Community Health shall make the determination, on a uniform state-wide basis, or whether a formal resolution, a contract agreement, or both shall be submitted by the county for participation in the Program.(2) Requirements Regarding the Resolution or the Contract:(a) The resolution or contract must declare the desire of the County to participate in the Program.(b) The resolution or contract must certify that the County has approved a local budget providing funds necessary for participation in the Program. The amount of this local budget shall be specified in the resolution or contract. (See 111-3-12-.02(3) for comments on "Determining the Local Budget.")(c) The resolution or the contract must indicate that the County has designated the County Board of Health as the local administrative agency or that the County has so designated an agency acceptable to both the governing authority of the county and the Georgia Department of Community Health.(d) The resolution or contract must state that the County agrees to pay, within the limitations of the Program budget, for authorized or emergency out-of-county hospital care rendered to county residents who are properly certified as indigent or medically indigent.(e) The resolution or contract should indicate that both the local medical society and the local hospital authority, if such exist, favor participation by the county in the Program.(f) The resolution or contract must declare that the County will comply with the Rules and Regulations of the Program as promulgated by the Department of Community Health.(3) Determining the Local Budget: (a) The amount of local funds budgeted for the Program shall be determined by the governing authority of the county; however, such local budget should match available State funds except where a lesser amount is reasonably related to Program needs.(b) The availability of State funds does not reduce local responsibility regarding hospital care, and it should not be used to justify termination of existing agreements with hospitals regarding the financing of operating deficits.(c) The amount of State funds budgeted under the Program to each county shall be determined by the Georgia Department of Community Health on the basis of available State funds, the matching formula, and the available county funds.(4) Effective Date of Participation. A County may request participation the Program at any time; however, after the first year of the Program, the actual commencement of Program participation, as evidenced by an allotment of State funds, shall be only on July 1 or January 1.(5) A County may request the Georgia Department of Community Health to approve a revised resolution or contract prior to the expiration of a previously filed document for a given year. Decisions regarding such requests will be based on the circumstances and facts as submitted in each instance.Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. R. 111-3-12-.02
Ga. L. 1933, p. 7; O.C.G.A. § 31-8-1et seq.
Original Rule entitled "Method for County Participation in the Program" adopted. F. Oct. 9, 2020; eff. Oct. 29, 2020.