1696 Payment for nursing facility services provided by county nursing facilities; county nursing facility supplementation payment

Payment for Nursing Facility Services Provided by County Nursing Facilities; County Nursing Facility Supplementation Payment

[43 Pa.B. 5538]
[Saturday, September 14, 2013]

 This announcement provides advance notice that the Department of Public Welfare (Department) intends to make an additional payment to certain county nursing facilities in Fiscal Year (FY) 2013-2014.

Background

 Act 71 of 2013 (Act 71) was enacted in the Commonwealth on July 18, 2013. Act 71, among other things, directs the Department to distribute $2 million in additional funds from the funds appropriated for Medical Assistance—Long-Term Care to certain county nursing facilities in FY 2013-2014.

Proposed Payment

 The Department will make a county nursing facility supplementation payment to each qualified county nursing facility. As directed by Act 71, a county nursing facility must have a Medical Assistance (MA) occupancy rate of at least 85% and be located in a home rule county that was formerly a county of the second class A to qualify for this supplementation payment. The MA occupancy rate will be determined using the latest acceptable annual cost report as of September 30, 2013, in accordance with 55 Pa. Code § 1189.71(b) (relating to cost reporting).

 The Department will calculate each qualified county nursing facility's supplementation payment for FY 2013-2014 by dividing total funds by the number of qualified county nursing facilities.

 The Department will submit a State Plan Amendment (SPA) to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). If CMS approves the SPA, the total funds will consist of both State and Federal funding. The Department will use its best efforts to process this supplementation payment within 30 days of the date it receives notice from CMS.

Fiscal Impact

 This change will result in a cost of $2 million in State funds for FY 2013-2014.

Public Comment

 Interested persons are invited to submit written comments regarding these proposed changes to the Department of Public Welfare, Office of Long-Term Living, Bureau of Policy and Regulatory Management, Attention: Marilyn Yocum, P. O. Box 8025, Harrisburg, PA 17105-8025. 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 Pennsylvania AT&T Relay Service at [phone] (TDD users) or [phone] (voice users).

BEVERLY D. MACKERETH, 
Secretary

 Fiscal Note: 14-NOT-844. (1) General Fund; (2) Implementing Year 2013-14 is $2,000,000; (3) 1st Succeeding Year 2014-15 is $0; 2nd Succeeding Year 2015-16 is $0; 3rd Succeeding Year 2016-17 is $0; 4th Succeeding Year 2017-18 is $0; 5th Succeeding Year 2018-19 is $0; (4) 2012-13 Program—$770,903,000; 2011-12 Program—$737,356,000; 2010-11 Program—$728,907,000; (7) Long-Term Care; (8) recommends adoption. Funds have been included in the budget to cover this increase.

[Pa.B. Doc. No. 13-1696. Filed for public inspection September 13, 2013, 9:00 a.m.]