AB 1653

Bill Subjects

Abstract

Existing law establishes the Medi-Cal program, administered by the State Department of Health Care Services, under which basic health care services are provided to qualified low-income persons. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid provisions. Existing law, subject to federal approval, requires the department to make supplemental payments for certain services, as specified, to private hospitals, nondesignated public hospitals, and designated public hospitals, as defined, for subject federal fiscal years, as defined. Existing law provides that these provisions shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2013, and as of that date are repealed. This bill would make various changes to the formulas used to determine the amount of supplemental payments made to private and designated public hospitals. This bill would expand the definition of a nondesignated public hospital. Existing law prescribes certain deadlines by which the above-described supplemental payments are required to be made to hospitals depending upon the federal fiscal year for which the payment is to be made. This bill would require the department to make to hospitals the supplemental payments for the 2008–09, 2009–10, and 2010–11 federal fiscal years in 7 payments, as specified. Existing law requires the department to make enhanced payments to managed health care plans, as defined, and requires the state to make enhanced payments to mental health plans, as defined, for each subject federal fiscal year, as specified. Existing law requires the managed health care plans and mental health plans that received enhanced payments to make supplemental payments to subject hospitals, as defined, pursuant to specified formulas. This bill would, instead, refer to the payments made by the department to the managed health care plans and mental health plans as increased capitation payments and increased payments, respectively, and would change the definition of a managed care plan. The bill would require the department to determine the amount of increased capitation payments for each Medi-Cal managed care plan and to consider prescribed factors in making that determination. The bill would prohibit the amount of increased capitation payments to each Medi-Cal managed health care plan from exceeding an amount that results in capitation payments that are certified by the state's actuary as meeting federal requirements. The bill would require each managed health care plan to expend 100% of any increased capitation payments it receives from the department on hospital services. This bill would make various changes to the provisions relating to the increased payments to mental health plans, including requiring the department to take into consideration prescribed factors when making these payments. Existing law, subject to federal approval, also imposes, as a condition of participation in state-funded health insurance programs other than the Medi-Cal program, a quality assurance fee, as specified, on certain general acute care hospitals through and including December 31, 2010. Existing law creates the Hospital Quality Assurance Revenue Fund in the State Treasury and requires that the money collected from the quality assurance fee be deposited into the fund. Existing law provides that the moneys in the fund shall, upon appropriation by the Legislature, be available only for certain purposes, including providing the above-described supplemental payments to hospitals and health care coverage for children. Existing law provides that these provisions shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2013, and as of that date are repealed. This bill would expand the definitions of a nondesignated public hospital and private hospital, and modify the formulas used in calculating the amount of the quality assurance fee imposed on hospitals pursuant to the above-described provisions. The bill would provide that the quality assurance fee shall not be imposed on a converted hospital, as defined, for a subject federal fiscal year in which the hospital becomes a converted hospital or for subsequent federal fiscal years. Prior to federal approval of implementation of the above-described provisions, existing law requires each general acute care hospital that is not an exempt facility to certify to the best of its knowledge that the hospital is prepared to pay the aggregate quality assurance fee, as defined. This bill would delete the above-described certification requirement. The bill would require hospitals to pay the quality assurance fee in 7 equal installments, as specified and subject to federal approval of the above-described provisions. Existing law authorizes the department, as necessary to receive federal approval for the implementation of the above-described provisions, to increase or decrease certain amounts used to calculate the quality assurance fee. This bill would delete the above-described authorization. This bill would provide that the department may impose and collect the quality assurance fee and make the supplemental payments, pursuant to the above-described provisions that require federal approval, based upon receiving a letter from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services or the United States Department of Health and Human Services that indicates likely federal approval, but only if and to the extent that the letter is sufficient, as specified. This bill would provide that if final federal approval is denied, any fees collected shall be refunded and any payments made shall be recouped, as prescribed. This bill would provide that if the above-described letter indicating likely federal approval is not received on or before December 1, 2010, then provisions relating to the quality assurance fee and the supplemental payments shall become inoperative, and shall be repealed on December 1, 2010. Existing law establishes the Medi-Cal Hospital/Uninsured Care Demonstration Project Act, which revises hospital supplemental payment methodologies under the Medi-Cal program in order to maximize the use of federal funds consistent with federal Medicaid law and to stabilize the distribution of funding for hospitals that provide care to Medi-Cal beneficiaries and uninsured patients. This demonstration project provides for funding, in supplementation of Medi-Cal reimbursement, to various hospitals, including designated public hospitals, nondesignated public hospitals, and private hospitals, as defined, in accordance with certain provisions relating to disproportionate share hospitals. Under existing law, the department has the discretion to claim for any additional and all demonstration project funding, including federal funds, as specified. This bill would, subject to certain conditions, provide that a portion, equal to an amount determined in accordance with the above-described Medi-Cal quality assurance fee provisions, of additional federal funding claimed pursuant to the above-described provisions shall be allocated to the designated public hospitals. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.