The Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH) held its second August meeting on Thursday, Aug. 26. At this meeting, the board heard updates on its current budget (FY 2022), next year’s budget (FY 2023), and the financial status of the State Health Benefit Plan (SHBP).

For the current fiscal year, DCH is requesting an additional $122 million in state funds. For FY 2023, it is requesting $359 million. These requests were approved by the board. They will now go to the Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget for submission to the legislature during the next legislative session.

The board also heard an update on the financial status of SHBP. Currently, SHBP expenditures are outpacing revenue. This means that SHBP is operating in a deficit. This pattern is anticipated to continue. For the current fiscal year, SHBP is operating with an $89 million deficit. This deficit is projected to grow to $337 million in FY 2023.