Notice of Proposed Rule

AGENCY FOR HEALTH CARE ADMINISTRATION
Medicaid
RULE NO: RULE TITLE
59G-6.030: Payment Methodology for Outpatient Hospital Services
PURPOSE AND EFFECT: The purpose and effect of the proposed rule is to incorporate changes to the Florida Title XIX Outpatient Hospital Reimbursement plan (the Plan) payment methodology, effective July 1, 2006, to provide the following changes in compliance with the 2006-07 General Appropriations Act, House Bill 5001, Specific Appropriation 217.
1. $7,704,802 is provided to eliminate the outpatient reimbursement ceilings for hospitals whose charity care and Medicaid days as a percentage of total adjusted hospital days equals or exceeds 11 percent. For any public hospital that does not qualify for the elimination of the outpatient ceilings under this section, the public hospital shall be exempt from the outpatient reimbursement ceilings contingent on the public hospital or local governmental entity providing the required state match. The Agency shall use the average of the 2000, 2001 and 2002 audited DSH data available as of March 1, 2006. In the event the agency does not have the prescribed three years of audited DSH data for a hospital, the agency shall use the average of the audited DSH data for 2000, 2001 and 2002 that are available.
2. $387,284 is provided to eliminate the outpatient reimbursement ceilings for hospitals that have a minimum of ten licensed Level II Neonatal Intensive Care Beds and are located in Trauma Services Area 2.
3. $11,223,355 is provided to eliminate the outpatient reimbursement ceilings for hospitals whose Medicaid days, as a percentage of total hospital days, exceed 7.3 percent, and are designated or provisional trauma centers. This provision shall apply to all hospitals that are designated or provisional trauma centers on July 1, 2006 or become a designated or provisional trauma center during State Fiscal Year 2006-2007. The agency shall use the average of the 2000, 2001 and 2002 audited DSH data available as of March 1, 2006. In the event the agency does not have the prescribed three years of audited DSH data for a hospital, the agency shall use the average of the audited DSH data for 2000, 2001 and 2002 that are available.
SUMMARY: The proposed rule change to Rule 59G-6.030, F.A.C., incorporates revisions to the Florida Title XIX Outpatient Hospital Reimbursement Plan. The rule change is in accordance with the 2006-07 General Appropriations Act, House Bill 5001, Specific Appropriation 217.
SUMMARY OF ESTIMATED REGULATORY COSTS: No Statement of Estimated Regulatory Cost was prepared.
Any person who wishes to provide information regarding a statement of estimated regulatory costs, or provide a proposal for a lower cost regulatory alternative must do so in writing within 21 days of this notice.
SPECIFIC AUTHORITY: 409.919 FS.
LAW IMPLEMENTED: 409.908 FS.
IF REQUESTED WITHIN 21 DAYS OF THE DATE OF THIS NOTICE, A HEARING WILL BE HELD AT THE DATE,TIME AND PLACE SHOWN BELOW(IF NOT REQUESTED, THIS HEARING WILL NOT BE HELD):
TIME AND DATE: September 7, 2006, 11:00 a.m.
PLACE: 2727 Fort Knox Boulevard, Building 3, Conference Room C, Tallahassee, Florida 32308
Pursuant to the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act, any person requiring special accommodations to participate in this workshop/meeting is asked to advise the agency at least 2 days before the workshop/meeting by contacting: Edwin Stephens, Medicaid Program Analysis, Agency for Health Care Administration, 2727 Mahan Drive, Building 3, Room 2149A, Mail Stop 21, Tallahassee, Florida 32308. If you are hearing or speech impaired, please contact the agency using the Florida Relay Service, 1(800)955-8771 (TDD) or 1(800)955-8770 (Voice).
THE PERSON TO BE CONTACTED REGARDING THE PROPOSED RULE IS: Edwin Stephens, Medicaid Program Analysis, Agency for Health Care Administration, 2727 Mahan Drive, Building 3, Room 2149A, Mail Stop 21, Tallahassee, Florida 32308

THE FULL TEXT OF THE PROPOSED RULE IS:

59G-6.030 Payment Methodology for Outpatient Hospital Services.

Reimbursement to participating outpatient hospitals for services provided shall be in accordance with the Florida Title XIX Outpatient Hospital Reimbursement Plan, Version XV XIV Effective date: ________April 19, 2006, and incorporated herein by reference.  A copy of the Plan as revised may be obtained by writing to the Office of the Deputy Secretary for Medicaid, Agency for Health Care Administration, 2727 Mahan Drive, Building 3, Mail Stop 8, Tallahassee, Florida 32308.

Specific Authority 409.919 FS. Law Implemented 409.908 FS. History–New 10-31-85, Amended 12-31-85, Formerly 10C-7.401, Amended 10-1-86,  3-26-90, 9-30-90, 10-13-91, 7-1-93, Formerly 10C-7.0401, Amended 4-10-94, 9-18-96,  9-6-99, 9-20-00, 12-6-01, 11-10-02, 2-16-04, 10-12-04, 7-4-05, 4-19-06,_________.


NAME OF PERSON ORIGINATING PROPOSED RULE: Edwin Stephens
NAME OF SUPERVISOR OR PERSON WHO APPROVED THE PROPOSED RULE: Thomas W. Arnold
DATE PROPOSED RULE APPROVED BY AGENCY HEAD: July 23, 2006
DATE NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULE DEVELOPMENT PUBLISHED IN FAW: June 2, 2006