Payments to County Nursing Facilities; Proposed Rates for State Fiscal Year 2008-2009 [38 Pa.B. 3943]
[Saturday, July 19, 2008]Purpose of Notice
This notice announces the Department of Public Welfare's (Department) proposed annual rates for State Fiscal Year (FY) 2008-2009, for county nursing facilities that participate in the Medical Assistance (MA) Program.
The rates will be calculated in accordance with 55 Pa. Code Chapter 1189, Subchapter D (relating to rate setting). As stated at § 1189.91(b) (relating to per diem rates for county nursing facilities), for each rate year beginning on or after July 1, 2007, the per diem rate paid to a county nursing facility for a rate year will be the facility's prior rate year per diem rate multiplied by a budget adjustment factor (BAF).
As required by § 1189.91(d), the Department intends to follow the formula set forth in the Commonwealth's approved State Plan to determine the BAF to be applied to county nursing facility payment rates for FY 2008-2009. The Department will be submitting State Plan Amendment (SPA) 08-008 to the Federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to include the BAF formula which the Department will use in FY 2008-2009. Contingent on CMS approval of SPA 08-008 the Department will use the following formula to determine the BAF which will apply in setting rates for the county nursing facilities. The BAF formula = 1.00 + the percent increase permitted by the General Appropriations Act.
Based on the funding provided in the governor's executive budget and the approval of SPA 08-008 by CMS the BAF for county nursing facilities for FY 2008-2009 will be 1.00.
The proposed per diem rates for FY 2008-2009 are available on the web site for the Department of Public Welfare at www.dpw.state.pa.us/PartnersProviders/LongTermLiving/ and at local county assistance offices throughout the Commonwealth or by contacting Gail Weidman, Department of Public Welfare, Office of Long-Term Living at (717) 705-3705.
Fiscal Impact
No fiscal impact is anticipated as a result of the proposed rates in FY 2008-2009.
Public Comment
Interested persons are invited to submit written comments regarding the proposed rates for FY 2008-2009 or the BAF formula, to the Department at the following address: Department of Public Welfare, Office of Long Term Living, Attention: Gail Weidman, P. O. Box 2675, Harrisburg, PA 17105. 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 Services at (800) 654-5984 (TDD users) or (800) 654-5988 (voice users).
ESTELLE B. RICHMAN,
SecretaryFiscal Note: 14-NOT-557. No fiscal impact; (8) recommends adoption.
[Pa.B. Doc. No. 08-1341. Filed for public inspection July 18, 2008, 9:00 a.m.]
