Divisions/Offices

Attached Agencies include the Georgia Composite Medical Board, the Georgia Board of Health Care Workforce, and the Georgia Drugs and Narcotics Agency.

General Counsel provides legal advice and support to the Commissioner, the Board of Community Health, and all divisions and offices within DCH, including support in administrative and judicial cases. On behalf of the Department, the Office of the General Counsel also prepares contracts, monitors proposed legislation, analyzes health care policy issues, and researches state and federal laws applicable to the department’s operation.

According to House Bill 132 {Act 83} passed in the FY2013-2014 Georgia General Assembly, the Georgia Board of Dentistry and the Georgia Board of Pharmacy became divisions of DCH and were granted a high degree of autonomy with respect to their operating procedures. The boards’ administrative attachment to the Finance Division of DCH is a reflection of the practical interface with the department regarding payroll, budgeting and accounting and is not an indication that supervision of these two divisions is to be done by the CFO or the Finance Division.

Healthcare Facility Regulation Division (HFRD) protects the residents of Georgia by ensuring the highest quality of health and safety in Georgia’s licensed health care facilities. Using statutory and regulatory standards, HFRD inspects, licenses and regulates more than 15,000 health care facilities in Georgia.

Medical Assistance Plans (MAP or Medicaid) is the federal and state-funded medical assistance program that provides low-income individuals with access to free and low-cost medical care. Medicaid provides support for pregnant women, children, retirees age 65 and older, and people who are legally blind or disabled. Those who need nursing home care or those who have breast or cervical cancer may also qualify. The division also oversees a number of waiver programs that provide home- and community-based medical, behavioral and social services to enrollees. As part of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Medicaid administers PeachCare for Kids® a comprehensive, managed care program for uninsured children in low-income families living in Georgia.

Office of Analytics and Program Improvement (OAPI) provides access to analytic-ready data to support strategic decisions across the Department. OAPI is comprised of Decision Support Services, Continuous Program Improvement, and a Data Management team which facilitates the Department's data governance and data warehousing efforts. OAPI plays a key role in interagency data sharing, administrative simplification, and is dedicated to promoting the adoption of data driven business practices.

Office of Health Planning administers the Certificate of Need Program, conducts reviews of Design and Construction projects, and administers the Managed Care Patient’s Rights program.  Health Planning also collects and maintains various health care facility surveys including the Hospital Financial Survey and Annual Hospital Questionnaire and coordinates state health planning activities.

Office of the Inspector General (OIG) safeguards the integrity of the department from both internal and external risks. The office remains diligent in its oversight to detect, prevent, and investigate waste, fraud, and abuse in Medicaid, PeachCare for Kids®, the State Health Benefit Plan, as well as all other agency programs and operations.

The Office of Procurement Services (OPS) is responsible for the centralized procurement of goods and services for DCH. It is the mission of OPS to obtain quality goods and services at the lowest reasonable cost for the best value, while operating at the highest standards of ethical conduct and achieving optimum results for its members and recipients.

State Health Benefit Plan (SHBP), with enrollment of more than 660,000 individuals, is responsible for the administration of the health insurance coverage provided to state employees, teachers, school personnel and certain contract groups, as well as retirees and eligible dependents.   SHBP offers its members two basic plan options:  Wellness and Standard. In 2012, SHBP’s Wellness Plan membership became the largest in the U.S.

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.