Payment Allotment Increase to Certain Acute Care General Hospitals [36 Pa.B. 8020]
[Saturday, December 30, 2006]The purpose of this notice is to announce that effective December 31, 2006, the Department of Public Welfare (Department) intends to make a one time increase to the allotment of disproportionate share hospital (DSH) payments to certain qualifying Medical Assistance (MA) enrolled hospitals from $5.8 million to $7.6 million.
Effective October 1, 2000, the Department established an additional class of DSH payments to certain qualifying hospitals, which the Department has determined advance the Department's goal of enhanced access to multiple types of medical care in economically distressed areas of this Commonwealth. Increases in MA eligibility and service costs require changes in the original amount allotted to guarantee access to care for MA recipients throughout this Commonwealth.
The Department will continue to use the current payment eligibility criteria and methodology to determine if an acute care general hospital is eligible for this additional class of disproportionate share.
In making these payments, the Department will ensure that no acute care general hospital will receive any DSH payment that is in excess of its hospital-specific DSH upper payment limit and the Commonwealth will not exceed its aggregate annual DSH allotment.
Fiscal Impact
For Fiscal Year 2006-2007, the fiscal impact as a result of this increase in DSH payment allotment is $3.961 million in total funds ($1.8 million in State General funds and $2.161 million in Federal funds).
Public Comment
Interested persons are invited to submit written comments regarding this notice to the Department of Public Welfare, Office of Medical Assistance Programs, c/o Deputy Secretary's Office, Attention: Regulations Coordinator, Room 515, Health and Welfare Building, Harrisburg, PA 17120. Comments received within 30 days will be reviewed and considered for any subsequent revision of the notice.
Persons with a disability who require an auxiliary aid or service may submit comments using the AT&T Relay Service at (800) 654-5984 (TDD users) or (800) 654-5988 (voice users).
ESTELLE B. RICHMAN,
SecretaryFiscal Note: 14-NOT-496. (1) General Fund; (2) Implementing Year 2006-07 is $1,800,000; (3) 1st Succeeding Year 2007-08 is $0; 2nd Succeeding Year 2008-09 is $0; 3rd Succeeding Year 2009-10 is $0; 4th Succeeding Year 2010-11 is $0; 5th Succeeding Year 2011-12 is $0; (4) 2005-06 Program--$474,693,000; 2004-05 Program--$531,785,000; 2003-04 Program--$411,042,000; (7) Medical Assistance--Inpatient; (8) recommends adoption. Funds have been included in the budget to cover this increase.
[Pa.B. Doc. No. 06-2574. Filed for public inspection December 29, 2006, 9:00 a.m.]
