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2017 Session

Budget Amendments - HB1500 (Conference Report)

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Supplemental Hospital Payments Program (language only)

Item 306 #9c

Item 306 #9c

Health and Human Resources
Department of Medical Assistance Services

Language

Page 311, after line 41, insert:

"WWWW.1. There is hereby appropriated sum-sufficient nongeneral funds for the Department of Medical Assistance Services to pay the state share of supplemental payments for qualifying private hospitals as provided in the State Plan for Medical Assistance Services. Qualifying private hospitals shall consist of any hospital currently re-enrolled as a Virginia Medicaid provider that meets the requirements of the State Plan for Medical Assistance Services amendment 11-018 submitted to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on or about December 20, 2011 and approved March 5, 2016 and 11-019 submitted to CMS on or about December 20, 2011 and approved March 21, 2016. The supplemental payments shall be based upon the services provided beginning with the effective date of each amendment. The department shall enter into a transfer agreement with agencies within the Secretariat of Health and Human Resources that are authorized to transfer department funding as state share of these private hospital supplemental payments. An amount equal to 10 percent of the annual agency transfers shall be unalloted and revert to the general fund at the end of the fiscal year. Hospitals participating in the program shall report annually to the Department of Planning and Budget on the uninsured and other low-income services provided.  Such report shall identify to whom the services were provided and the value of such services. The Department of Planning and Budget shall report on this supplemental payment program to the Chairmen of the House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committees annually no later than December 1.

2. The Department of Medical Assistance Services shall have the authority to implement these reimbursement changes consistent with the effective date in the State Plan amendment approved by CMS and prior to completion of any regulatory process in order to effect such changes.  

3. In the event federal laws, regulations or policies no longer allow such Medicaid supplemental payments, no obligation on the part of the Commonwealth shall exist to continue such payments to qualifying hospitals.

XXXX.1. The Department of Medical Assistance Services shall monitor the capacity available under the Upper Payment Limit (UPL) for all hospital supplemental payments and adjust payments accordingly when the UPL cap is reached.  The department shall make an adjustment to stay under the UPL cap by reducing or eliminating as necessary supplemental payments to hospitals based on when the first supplemental payments were actually made so that the newest supplemental payments to hospitals would be impacted first and so on.

2. The Department of Medical Assistance Services shall have the authority to implement reimbursement changes deemed necessary to meet the requirements of this paragraph prior to the completion of any regulatory process in order to effect such changes."



Explanation

(This amendment authorizes agencies within the Secretariat of Health and Human Resources to transfer funds to the Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) to be used to pay the state share of Medicaid supplemental payments to qualifying hospitals. These Medicaid supplemental payments reimburse qualifying hospitals for their uncompensated costs for Medicaid services they have already provided. Language requires that 10 percent of the funding transferred shall be unalloted and revert to the general fund at the end of the year. Language directs the participating hospitals to report to DMAS on the services and programs provided and directs the department to report on the program by December 1 annually. It also clarifies that if federal laws, regulations or polices no longer allow such supplemental payments, that the Commonwealth is not obligated to continue such payments. Finally, language requires DMAS to monitor the capacity under the federal Upper Payment Limit for all hospital supplemental payment programs and adjust payments when the cap is reached by reducing or eliminating payments as necessary to stay within the cap with the newest payments impacted first.)