Supplemental Payments to Certain Academic Medical Centers [35 Pa.B. 3628] This notice announces the Department of Public Welfare's (Department) intent to make supplemental payments to certain academic medical centers to assure that the services they provide to the Medical Assistance (MA) population will continue. These payments are also intended to help offset the medical education costs incurred by these hospitals and to assure the continued availability of professional medical services to the MA population. The Department's intent is for these supplemental payments to become effective July 1, 2005.
To qualify for these payments, academic medical centers must meet the following criteria as documented on the hospitals' Fiscal Year (FY) 2002-03 MA cost reports:
1. Total medical education costs of at least $25 million.
2. Pennsylvania MA medical education costs of at least $1.5 million.
3. Provide over 50,000 Pennsylvania MA days of care or have less than 500 set-up and staffed beds.
Funds appropriated for these supplemental payments to academic medical centers qualifying under these criteria will be allocated using each qualifying hospital's medical education cost per bed. Specifically, each qualifying hospital's medical education cost per bed will be divided by the total medical education costs per bed for all qualifying hospitals to establish each hospital's specific supplemental payment ratio. The payment amount is then determined by multiplying each qualifying hospital's ratio by the total funds appropriated for these supplemental payments.
Fiscal Impact
For FY 2005-2006 the increased cost of $45.502 million ($20.591 million in State funds) in the Department will be offset by State fund savings of $45.502 million in the Department of Education.
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, Attn: 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 should 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-430. No fiscal impact; (8) recommends adoption. Making these payments through the Medical Assistance--Inpatient appropriation will generate approximately $20.591 million in General Fund savings.
[Pa.B. Doc. No. 05-1231. Filed for public inspection June 24, 2005, 9:00 a.m.]
