SB 239

Bill Subjects

Abstract

(1) Existing law provides for the Medi-Cal program, which is administered by the State Department of Health Care Services, under which qualified low-income individuals receive health care services. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid Program provisions. Existing law, subject to federal approval, imposes a quality assurance fee, as specified, on certain general acute care hospitals from July 1, 2011, to December 31, 2013, inclusive. Existing law, subject to federal approval, requires the fee to be deposited into the Hospital Quality Assurance Revenue Fund, and requires that the moneys in the fund be used, upon appropriation by the Legislature, only for certain purposes, including, among other things, paying for health care coverage for children and making supplemental payments for certain services to private hospitals, increased capitation payments to Medi-Cal managed care plans, and increased payments to mental health plans. This bill would, subject to federal approval, impose a hospital quality assurance fee, as specified, on certain general acute care hospitals to be deposited into the Hospital Quality Assurance Revenue Fund. This bill would, subject to federal approval, provide that moneys in the Hospital Quality Assurance Revenue Fund shall be continuously appropriated during the first program period of January 1, 2014, to December 31, 2016, inclusive, and available only for certain purposes, including paying for health care coverage for children, as specified, and making supplemental payments for certain services to private hospitals and increased capitation payments to Medi-Cal managed care plans. The bill would also require the payment of direct grants to designated and nondesignated public hospitals in support of health care expenditures funded by the quality assurance fee for the first program period. The bill would, for subsequent program periods, authorize the payment of direct grants for designated and nondesignated public hospitals and require that the moneys in the Hospital Quality Assurance Revenue Fund be used for the above-described purposes upon appropriation by the Legislature in the annual Budget Act. The bill would require the department to make available all public documentation it uses to administer and audit these provisions. The bill would require the department to post specified documents on its Internet Web site relating to these provisions. (2) Existing law provides that any county, other political subdivision of the state, or governmental entity in the state may elect to transfer funds in the form of cash or loans to the department in support of the Medi-Cal program. Existing law provides the department discretion to accept or not accept any elective transfer from a county, political subdivision, or other governmental entity for purposes of obtaining federal financial participation. This bill would authorize the Director of Health Care Services to maximize federal financial participation to provide access to services provided by hospitals that are not reimbursed by certified public expenditure, as specified, by authorizing the use of intergovernmental transfers to fund the nonfederal share of supplemental payments as permitted under federal law. (3) Existing law requires that the California Medical Assistance Commission be dissolved after June 30, 2012, and requires that, upon dissolution of the commission, all powers, duties, and responsibilities of the commission be transferred to the Director of Health Care Services. Existing law provides that upon a determination by the director that a payment system based on diagnosis-related groups, as described, has been developed and implemented, the powers, duties, and responsibilities conferred on the commission and transferred to the director shall no longer be exercised, except as specified. This bill would add to those exceptions by authorizing the director to continue to administer and distribute payments for the Construction and Renovation Reimbursement Program, which provides supplemental reimbursement to hospitals that contract under the selective provider contracting program or with a county organized health system, as specified. The bill would provide that maintaining or negotiating a selective provider contract or a contract with a county organized health system shall cease to be a requirement for a hospital's participation in the Construction and Renovation Reimbursement Program. (4) Existing law requires, except as otherwise provided, Medi-Cal provider payments to be reduced by 1% or 5%, and provider payments for specified non-Medi-Cal programs to be reduced by 1%, for dates of service on and after March 1, 2009, and until June 1, 2011. Existing law requires, except as otherwise provided, Medi-Cal provider payments and payments for specified non-Medi-Cal programs to be reduced by 10% for dates of service on and after June 1, 2011. This bill would require that reimbursement for services provided by skilled nursing facilities that are distinct parts of general acute care hospitals be determined, for dates of service on or after October 1, 2013, without application of the reductions and limitations set forth in those provisions. The bill would also require the department to develop, in consultation with the hospital community, proposed modifications to the quality assurance fee provisions to collect additional fees for increasing managed care plan rate range increases for the purpose of increasing payments to private hospitals and nondesignated public hospitals in counties that do not have designated public hospitals. The bill would also require the department to develop a process by which a private general acute care hospital located outside the state that serves Medi-Cal beneficiaries may opt in to pay the quality assurance fee and receive supplemental payments, as specified. (5) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.