Bill Text: FL S0322 | 2015 | Regular Session | Comm Sub


Bill Title: Medicaid Reimbursement for Hospital Providers

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 3-1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-05-01 - Died on Calendar [S0322 Detail]

Download: Florida-2015-S0322-Comm_Sub.html
       Florida Senate - 2015                              CS for SB 322
       
       
        
       By the Committee on Fiscal Policy; and Senators Stargel, Gaetz,
       and Hays
       
       
       
       
       594-04179-15                                           2015322c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to Medicaid reimbursement for hospital
    3         providers; amending s. 409.908, F.S.; defining terms;
    4         requiring the Agency for Health Care Administration to
    5         provide written notice, pursuant to ch. 120, F.S., of
    6         reimbursement rates to providers; specifying
    7         procedures and requirements to challenge the
    8         calculation of or the methodology used to calculate
    9         such rates; providing that the failure to timely file
   10         a certain challenge constitutes acceptance of the
   11         rates; specifying limits on and procedures for the
   12         correction or adjustment of the rates; providing
   13         applicability; prohibiting the agency from being
   14         compelled by an administrative body or a court to pay
   15         additional compensation that exceeds a certain amount
   16         to a hospital for specified matters unless an
   17         appropriation is made by law; prohibiting certain
   18         periods of time from being tolled under specified
   19         circumstances; specifying that an administrative
   20         proceeding is the exclusive means for challenging
   21         certain issues; reenacting ss. 383.18, 409.8132(4),
   22         and 409.905(5)(c) and (6)(b), F.S., relating to
   23         contracts for the regional perinatal intensive care
   24         centers program, the Medikids program component, and
   25         mandatory Medicaid services, respectively, to
   26         incorporate the amendment made to s. 409.908, F.S., in
   27         references thereto; providing that the act is
   28         remedial, intended to confirm and clarify law, and
   29         applies to proceedings pending on or commenced after
   30         the effective date; providing an effective date.
   31          
   32  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   33  
   34         Section 1. Paragraph (e) is added to subsection (1) of
   35  section 409.908, Florida Statutes, to read:
   36         409.908 Reimbursement of Medicaid providers.—Subject to
   37  specific appropriations, the agency shall reimburse Medicaid
   38  providers, in accordance with state and federal law, according
   39  to methodologies set forth in the rules of the agency and in
   40  policy manuals and handbooks incorporated by reference therein.
   41  These methodologies may include fee schedules, reimbursement
   42  methods based on cost reporting, negotiated fees, competitive
   43  bidding pursuant to s. 287.057, and other mechanisms the agency
   44  considers efficient and effective for purchasing services or
   45  goods on behalf of recipients. If a provider is reimbursed based
   46  on cost reporting and submits a cost report late and that cost
   47  report would have been used to set a lower reimbursement rate
   48  for a rate semester, then the provider’s rate for that semester
   49  shall be retroactively calculated using the new cost report, and
   50  full payment at the recalculated rate shall be effected
   51  retroactively. Medicare-granted extensions for filing cost
   52  reports, if applicable, shall also apply to Medicaid cost
   53  reports. Payment for Medicaid compensable services made on
   54  behalf of Medicaid eligible persons is subject to the
   55  availability of moneys and any limitations or directions
   56  provided for in the General Appropriations Act or chapter 216.
   57  Further, nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent
   58  or limit the agency from adjusting fees, reimbursement rates,
   59  lengths of stay, number of visits, or number of services, or
   60  making any other adjustments necessary to comply with the
   61  availability of moneys and any limitations or directions
   62  provided for in the General Appropriations Act, provided the
   63  adjustment is consistent with legislative intent.
   64         (1) Reimbursement to hospitals licensed under part I of
   65  chapter 395 must be made prospectively or on the basis of
   66  negotiation.
   67         (e)1. As used in this paragraph, the term:
   68         a. “Appropriation made by law” has the same meaning as
   69  provided in s. 11.066.
   70         b. Reimbursement rate” means the audited hospital cost
   71  based per diem reimbursement rate for inpatient or outpatient
   72  care established by the agency.
   73         2. Pursuant to chapter 120, the agency shall furnish
   74  written notice of a reimbursement rate to providers. The written
   75  notice constitutes final agency action. A substantially affected
   76  provider seeking to correct or adjust the calculation of a
   77  reimbursement rate, based on a challenge other than a challenge
   78  to a methodology used to calculate a reimbursement rate as
   79  described in subparagraph 3., may request an administrative
   80  hearing by filing a petition with the agency within 180 days
   81  after receipt of the written notice by the provider. The failure
   82  to timely file a petition in compliance with this subparagraph
   83  is deemed conclusive acceptance of the reimbursement rate.
   84         3. An administrative proceeding pursuant to s. 120.569 or
   85  s. 120.57 which challenges a methodology that is specified in an
   86  agency rule or in a reimbursement plan incorporated by reference
   87  in such rule and that is used to calculate a reimbursement rate
   88  may not result in a correction or an adjustment of a
   89  reimbursement rate for a rate period that occurred more than 5
   90  years before the date the petition initiating the proceeding was
   91  filed.
   92         4. This paragraph applies to any challenge described in
   93  subparagraph 2. or subparagraph 3., including a right to
   94  challenge which arose before July 1, 2015. A correction or
   95  adjustment of a reimbursement rate which is required by an
   96  administrative order or appellate decision:
   97         a. Must be reconciled in the first rate period after the
   98  order or decision becomes final; and
   99         b. May not serve as the basis for a challenge to correct or
  100  adjust hospital rates required to be paid by a Medicaid managed
  101  care provider pursuant to part IV of chapter 409.
  102         5. The agency may not be compelled by an administrative
  103  body or a court to pay compensation that exceeds $5 million to a
  104  hospital relating to the establishment of reimbursement rates by
  105  the agency or for remedies relating to such rates, unless an
  106  appropriation made by law is enacted for the exclusive, specific
  107  purpose of paying such additional compensation.
  108         6. A period of time specified in this paragraph is not
  109  tolled by the pendency of an administrative or appellate
  110  proceeding.
  111         7. An administrative proceeding pursuant to chapter 120 is
  112  the exclusive means to challenge a reimbursement rate as
  113  described under subparagraph 2. before, on, or after July 1,
  114  2015, and to challenge a methodology used to calculate a
  115  reimbursement rate as described under subparagraph 3.
  116         Section 2. For the purpose of incorporating the amendment
  117  made by this act to section 409.908, Florida Statutes, in a
  118  reference thereto, section 383.18, Florida Statutes, is
  119  reenacted to read:
  120         383.18 Contracts; conditions.—Participation in the regional
  121  perinatal intensive care centers program under ss. 383.15-383.19
  122  is contingent upon the department entering into a contract with
  123  a provider. The contract shall provide that patients will
  124  receive services from the center and that parents or guardians
  125  of patients who participate in the program and who are in
  126  compliance with Medicaid eligibility requirements as determined
  127  by the department are not additionally charged for treatment and
  128  care which has been contracted for by the department. Financial
  129  eligibility for the program is based on the Medicaid income
  130  guidelines for pregnant women and for children under 1 year of
  131  age. Funding shall be provided in accordance with ss. 383.19 and
  132  409.908.
  133         Section 3. For the purpose of incorporating the amendment
  134  made by this act to section 409.908, Florida Statutes, in a
  135  reference thereto, subsection (4) of section 409.8132, Florida
  136  Statutes, is reenacted to read:
  137         409.8132 Medikids program component.—
  138         (4) APPLICABILITY OF LAWS RELATING TO MEDICAID.—The
  139  provisions of ss. 409.902, 409.905, 409.906, 409.907, 409.908,
  140  409.912, 409.9121, 409.9122, 409.9123, 409.9124, 409.9127,
  141  409.9128, 409.913, 409.916, 409.919, 409.920, and 409.9205 apply
  142  to the administration of the Medikids program component of the
  143  Florida Kidcare program, except that s. 409.9122 applies to
  144  Medikids as modified by the provisions of subsection (7).
  145         Section 4. For the purpose of incorporating the amendment
  146  made by this act to section 409.908, Florida Statutes, in
  147  references thereto, paragraph (c) of subsection (5) and
  148  paragraph (b) of subsection (6) of section 409.905, Florida
  149  Statutes, are reenacted to read:
  150         409.905 Mandatory Medicaid services.—The agency may make
  151  payments for the following services, which are required of the
  152  state by Title XIX of the Social Security Act, furnished by
  153  Medicaid providers to recipients who are determined to be
  154  eligible on the dates on which the services were provided. Any
  155  service under this section shall be provided only when medically
  156  necessary and in accordance with state and federal law.
  157  Mandatory services rendered by providers in mobile units to
  158  Medicaid recipients may be restricted by the agency. Nothing in
  159  this section shall be construed to prevent or limit the agency
  160  from adjusting fees, reimbursement rates, lengths of stay,
  161  number of visits, number of services, or any other adjustments
  162  necessary to comply with the availability of moneys and any
  163  limitations or directions provided for in the General
  164  Appropriations Act or chapter 216.
  165         (5) HOSPITAL INPATIENT SERVICES.—The agency shall pay for
  166  all covered services provided for the medical care and treatment
  167  of a recipient who is admitted as an inpatient by a licensed
  168  physician or dentist to a hospital licensed under part I of
  169  chapter 395. However, the agency shall limit the payment for
  170  inpatient hospital services for a Medicaid recipient 21 years of
  171  age or older to 45 days or the number of days necessary to
  172  comply with the General Appropriations Act. Effective August 1,
  173  2012, the agency shall limit payment for hospital emergency
  174  department visits for a nonpregnant Medicaid recipient 21 years
  175  of age or older to six visits per fiscal year.
  176         (c) The agency shall implement a prospective payment
  177  methodology for establishing reimbursement rates for inpatient
  178  hospital services. Rates shall be calculated annually and take
  179  effect July 1 of each year. The methodology shall categorize
  180  each inpatient admission into a diagnosis-related group and
  181  assign a relative payment weight to the base rate according to
  182  the average relative amount of hospital resources used to treat
  183  a patient in a specific diagnosis-related group category. The
  184  agency may adopt the most recent relative weights calculated and
  185  made available by the Nationwide Inpatient Sample maintained by
  186  the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality or may adopt
  187  alternative weights if the agency finds that Florida-specific
  188  weights deviate with statistical significance from national
  189  weights for high-volume diagnosis-related groups. The agency
  190  shall establish a single, uniform base rate for all hospitals
  191  unless specifically exempt pursuant to s. 409.908(1).
  192         1. Adjustments may not be made to the rates after October
  193  31 of the state fiscal year in which the rates take effect,
  194  except for cases of insufficient collections of
  195  intergovernmental transfers authorized under s. 409.908(1) or
  196  the General Appropriations Act. In such cases, the agency shall
  197  submit a budget amendment or amendments under chapter 216
  198  requesting approval of rate reductions by amounts necessary for
  199  the aggregate reduction to equal the dollar amount of
  200  intergovernmental transfers not collected and the corresponding
  201  federal match. Notwithstanding the $1 million limitation on
  202  increases to an approved operating budget contained in ss.
  203  216.181(11) and 216.292(3), a budget amendment exceeding that
  204  dollar amount is subject to notice and objection procedures set
  205  forth in s. 216.177.
  206         2. Errors in source data or calculations discovered after
  207  October 31 must be reconciled in a subsequent rate period.
  208  However, the agency may not make any adjustment to a hospital’s
  209  reimbursement more than 5 years after a hospital is notified of
  210  an audited rate established by the agency. The prohibition
  211  against adjustments more than 5 years after notification is
  212  remedial and applies to actions by providers involving Medicaid
  213  claims for hospital services. Hospital reimbursement is subject
  214  to such limits or ceilings as may be established in law or
  215  described in the agency’s hospital reimbursement plan. Specific
  216  exemptions to the limits or ceilings may be provided in the
  217  General Appropriations Act.
  218         (6) HOSPITAL OUTPATIENT SERVICES.—
  219         (b) The agency shall implement a methodology for
  220  establishing base reimbursement rates for outpatient services
  221  for each hospital based on allowable costs, as defined by the
  222  agency. Rates shall be calculated annually and take effect July
  223  1 of each year based on the most recent complete and accurate
  224  cost report submitted by each hospital.
  225         1. Adjustments may not be made to the rates after October
  226  31 of the state fiscal year in which the rates take effect,
  227  except for cases of insufficient collections of
  228  intergovernmental transfers authorized under s. 409.908(1) or
  229  the General Appropriations Act. In such cases, the agency shall
  230  submit a budget amendment or amendments under chapter 216
  231  requesting approval of rate reductions by amounts necessary for
  232  the aggregate reduction to equal the dollar amount of
  233  intergovernmental transfers not collected and the corresponding
  234  federal match. Notwithstanding the $1 million limitation on
  235  increases to an approved operating budget under ss. 216.181(11)
  236  and 216.292(3), a budget amendment exceeding that dollar amount
  237  is subject to notice and objection procedures set forth in s.
  238  216.177.
  239         2. Errors in source data or calculations discovered after
  240  October 31 must be reconciled in a subsequent rate period.
  241  However, the agency may not make any adjustment to a hospital’s
  242  reimbursement more than 5 years after a hospital is notified of
  243  an audited rate established by the agency. The prohibition
  244  against adjustments more than 5 years after notification is
  245  remedial and applies to actions by providers involving Medicaid
  246  claims for hospital services. Hospital reimbursement is subject
  247  to such limits or ceilings as may be established in law or
  248  described in the agency’s hospital reimbursement plan. Specific
  249  exemptions to the limits or ceilings may be provided in the
  250  General Appropriations Act.
  251         Section 5. The amendment made by this act to s. 409.908,
  252  Florida Statutes, is remedial in nature, confirms and clarifies
  253  existing law, and applies to all proceedings pending on or
  254  commenced after this act takes effect.
  255         Section 6. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.

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