Division of Health Care Finance and Policy

Division of Health Care Finance and Policy.

State Appropriations

4100-0060

For the operation of the division and the administration of the uncompensated care pool established pursuant to chapter 118G of the General Laws; provided, that any interest accrued on principal in the compliance liability trust fund, so-called, during fiscal year 1997 and projected to be generated in fiscal year 1998 shall be deposited in the General Fund as partial reimbursement for the administrative costs of the uncompensated care pool; provided further, that the total amount assessed to acute hospitals pursuant to the provisions of said chapter 118G for the purposes of this item shall be reduced by the amount of said interest; provided further, that the division shall promulgate regulations requiring all hospitals receiving payments from the uncompensated care pool to report quarterly to the division the following utilization information: the number of inpatient admissions and outpatient visits by age category, income category, diagnostic category and average charge per admission; provided further, that the division shall submit quarterly to the house and senate committees on ways and means a summary report compiling said data; provided further, that the division, in consultation with the division of medical assistance, shall not promulgate any increase in medicaid provider rates without taking all measures possible under Title XIX of the Social Security Act or any successor federal statute to ensure that rates of payment to providers do not exceed such rates as are necessary to meet only those costs incurred by efficiently and economically operated providers in order to provide services of adequate quality; provided further, that the division shall meet the reporting requirements of section 25 of chapter 203 of the acts of 1996; provided further, that the division shall share financial data and expertise about the Massachusetts health care industry with the Massachusetts Institute for Social and Economic Research for the purpose of enhancing, developing and marketing data products for the public; provided further, that the division and the institute shall share any revenue generated through sale, licensure, royalty, and usage fees charged for said data products; and provided further, that, no later than October 1, 1997, the division shall submit to the comptroller a report describing the method by which the division shall generate revenues not collected from acute care hospitals in an amount sufficient to meet 25 per cent of the projected costs of the division in any fiscal year, as required by section 612 of chapter 151 of the acts of 1996

......................................................$9,327,902

4100-1054

For the purpose of making initial gross payments to qualifying acute care hospitals from the uncompensated care pool pursuant to the provisions of chapter 118G of the General Laws, for the hospital fiscal year beginning October 1, 1997; provided, that said payments shall be made to hospitals prior to, and in anticipation of, the payment by hospitals of their gross liability to said pool; provided further, that the comptroller is hereby authorized and directed to transfer the amount appropriated herein to said pool for the purpose of making such payments; provided further, that the amount appropriated herein, less any amount that is certified by the commissioner as unable to be collected from said hospitals, shall be returned proportionately to the General Fund and the Local Aid Fund at the end of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1998; provided further, that in no event shall the amount unable to be collected from a hospital exceed for any hospital which is a net payer to said pool the pool's gross liability to such hospital or for any hospital which is a net payee from said pool the pool's gross liability to such hospital; and provided further, that the comptroller is hereby authorized and directed to transfer to the General Fund as of said June 30 the balance of this appropriation and any allocation thereof as certified by the said commissioner

......................................................$30,000,000

General Fund .................. 66.0%

Local Aid Fund .................. 34.0%