Bill Text: NC S1310 | 2010 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Expand Inpatient Psych. Bed Capacity/Funds
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-05-20 - Ref To Com On Appropriations/Base Budget [S1310 Detail]
Download: North_Carolina-2010-S1310-Amended.html
GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2009
S 1
SENATE BILL 1310*
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Short Title: Expand Inpatient Psych. Bed Capacity/Funds. |
(Public) |
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Sponsors: |
Senators Nesbitt; and Atwater. |
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Referred to: |
Appropriations/Base Budget. |
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May 20, 2010
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to appropriate additional funds for the expansion of local inpatient psychiatric beds or bed days.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1. Section 10.12(b) of S.L. 2009‑451 reads as rewritten:
"SECTION 10.12.(b) Of the funds appropriated in
this act to the Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Mental
Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Abuse Services, the sum of
twenty million one hundred twenty‑one thousand six hundred forty‑four
dollars ($20,121,644) for the 2009‑2010 fiscal year and the sum of twenty
million one hundred twenty‑one thousand six hundred forty‑four
dollars ($20,121,644) thirty‑two million one hundred twenty‑one
thousand six hundred forty‑four dollars ($32.121,644) for the 2010‑2011
fiscal year shall be allocated for the purchase of local inpatient psychiatric
beds or bed days. These beds or bed days shall be distributed across the
State according to need as determined by the Department. The Department
shall work to ensure that these beds or bed days are distributed equitably
across the State. The Department shall enter into contracts with the LMEs
and community hospitals for the management of these beds or bed days. Local
inpatient psychiatric beds or bed days shall be managed and controlled by the
LME, including the determination of which local or State hospital the
individual should be admitted to pursuant to an involuntary commitment order.
Funds shall not be allocated to LMEs but shall be held in a statewide reserve
at the Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance
Abuse Services to pay for services authorized by the LMEs and billed by the
hospitals through the LMEs. LMEs shall remit claims for payment to the Division
within 15 working days of receipt of a clean claim from the hospital and shall
pay the hospital within 30 working days of receipt of payment from the
Division. If the Department determines (i) that an LME is not effectively
managing the beds or bed days for which it has responsibility, as evidenced by
beds or bed days in the local hospital not being utilized while demand for
services at the State psychiatric hospitals has not reduced, or (ii) the LME
has failed to comply with the prompt payment provisions of this subsection, the
Department may contract with another LME to manage the beds or bed days, or,
notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, may pay the
hospital directly. The Department shall develop reporting requirements for LMEs
regarding the utilization of the beds or bed days. Funds appropriated in this
section for the purchase of local inpatient psychiatric beds or bed days shall
be used to purchase additional beds or bed days not currently funded by or
through LMEs and shall not be used to supplant other funds available or
otherwise appropriated for the purchase of psychiatric inpatient services under
contract with community hospitals, including beds or bed days being purchased
through Hospital Utilization Pilot funds appropriated in S.L. 2007‑323. Not
later than March 1, 2010, the Beginning September 1, 2010, the Department
shall report semiannually to the House of Representatives Appropriations
Subcommittee on Health and Human Services, the Senate, the Joint Legislative
Oversight Committee on Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance
Abuse Services, and the Fiscal Research Division on a uniform system for beds
or bed days purchased (i) with local funds, (ii) from existing State
appropriations, (iii) under the Hospital Utilization Pilot, and (iv) purchased
using funds appropriated under this subsection."
SECTION 2. This act becomes effective July 1, 2010.
