Senate Bill No. 333–Senator Shaffer

 

March 13, 2001

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Referred to Committee on Human Resources and Facilities

 

SUMMARY—Revises provisions governing payment of hospitals for treating disproportionate share of Medicaid patients, indigent patients or other low-income patients. (BDR 38‑1237)

 

FISCAL NOTE:            Effect on Local Government: No.

                                    Effect on the State: No.

 

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EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.

 

AN ACT relating to welfare; revising the provisions governing the payment of hospitals for treating a disproportionate share of Medicaid patients, indigent patients or other low-income patients; and providing other matters properly relating thereto.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN

SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

 

1-1    Section 1. NRS 422.382 is hereby amended to read as follows:

1-2    422.382  1.  In a county within which:

1-3    (a) A public hospital is located, the state or local government or other

1-4  entity responsible for the public hospital shall transfer an amount equal to

1-5  75 percent of the amount of the payment made to the public hospital

1-6  pursuant to NRS 422.387 less $50,000 to the division of health care

1-7  financing and policy.

1-8    (b) A private hospital which receives a payment pursuant to NRS

1-9  422.387 is located, the county shall transfer an amount established by the

1-10  legislature to the division of health care financing and policy.

1-11    2.  A county whose population is less than 400,000 that transfers the

1-12  amount required pursuant to paragraph (b) of subsection 1 to the division

1-13  of health care financing and policy is discharged of the duty and is released

1-14  from liability for providing medical treatment for indigent inpatients who

1-15  are treated in the hospital in the county that receives a payment pursuant to

1-16  paragraph (b) of subsection 2 of NRS 422.387.

1-17    3.  Any money collected pursuant to subsection 1, including any

1-18  interest or penalties imposed for a delinquent payment, must be deposited

1-19  in the state treasury for credit to the intergovernmental transfer account in

1-20  the state general fund to be administered by the division of health care

1-21  financing and policy.

2-1    4.  The interest and income earned on money in the intergovernmental

2-2  transfer account, after deducting any applicable charges, must be credited

2-3  to the account.

2-4    Sec. 2.  NRS 422.387 is hereby amended to read as follows:

2-5    422.387  1.  Before making the payments required or authorized by

2-6  this section, the division of health care financing and policy shall allocate

2-7  money for the administrative costs necessary to carry out the provisions of

2-8  NRS 422.380 to 422.390, inclusive. The amount allocated for

2-9  administrative costs must not exceed [the] :

2-10    (a) The actual expenses the division expects to incur for this purpose

2-11  in a fiscal year; or

2-12    (b) The amount authorized for expenditure by the legislature for this

2-13  purpose in a fiscal year[.] ,

2-14  whichever is less. The interim finance committee may adjust the amount

2-15  allowed for administrative costs[.] pursuant to paragraph (b).

2-16    2.  The state plan for Medicaid must provide:

2-17    (a) For the payment of the maximum amount allowable under federal

2-18  law and regulations after making [a payment, if any,] any payments

2-19  pursuant to [paragraph (b),] paragraphs (b) and (c), to public hospitals for

2-20  treating a disproportionate share of Medicaid patients, indigent patients or

2-21  other low-income patients, unless such payments are subsequently limited

2-22  by federal law or regulation.

2-23    (b) For a payment in an amount approved by the legislature to the

2-24  private hospital that provides the largest volume of medical care to

2-25  Medicaid patients, indigent patients or other low-income patients in a

2-26  county whose population is less than 400,000 that does not have a public

2-27  hospital.

2-28    (c) For a payment in an amount approved by the legislature to each

2-29  private hospital in a county whose population is 400,000 or more that

2-30  qualifies to be deemed a disproportionate share hospital pursuant to 42

2-31  U.S.C. § 1396r-4(b)(1)(A) or 42 U.S.C. § 1396r-4(b)(1)(B).

2-32  The plan must be consistent with the provisions of NRS 422.380 to

2-33  422.390, inclusive, and Title XIX of the Social Security Act , [(]42 U.S.C.

2-34  §§ 1396 et seq. , [),] and the regulations adopted pursuant to those

2-35  provisions.

2-36    3.  The division of health care financing and policy may, with the

2-37  approval of the director, amend the state plan for Medicaid to modify the

2-38  methodology for establishing the rates of payment to public hospitals for

2-39  inpatient services, except that such amendments must not reduce the total

2-40  reimbursements to public hospitals for such services.

2-41    Sec. 3.  This act becomes effective on July 1, 2001.

 

2-42  H