House Bill hb1885

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.




    Florida House of Representatives - 2001                HB 1885

        By the Committee on Health Promotion and Representative
    Littlefield





  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to health care; amending s.

  3         381.0403, F.S.; transferring the programs for

  4         community hospital education and graduate

  5         medical education under the "Community Hospital

  6         Education Act" from the Board of Regents to the

  7         Department of Health; authorizing certain

  8         expenditure of funds; revising provisions to

  9         conform; authorizing participation in the

10         innovations grant program by individual Florida

11         medical schools providing graduate medical

12         education in community-based clinical settings;

13         revising the membership of a committee;

14         providing rulemaking authority to the

15         Department of Health; amending s. 409.908,

16         F.S.; revising provisions relating to the

17         reimbursement of Medicaid providers to conform

18         to the transfer of the Community Hospital

19         Education Program from the Board of Regents to

20         the Department of Health; providing for the

21         certification of local matching funds;

22         providing requirements for the distribution of

23         federal funds earned as a result of local

24         matching funds; requiring an impact statement;

25         amending s. 409.911, F.S.; revising the

26         definition of the term "charity care"; amending

27         s. 409.9117, F.S.; revising criteria for

28         participation in the primary care

29         disproportionate share program; providing an

30         effective date.

31

                                  1

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida House of Representatives - 2001                HB 1885

    169-459A-01






  1  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

  2

  3         Section 1.  Paragraphs (a), (b), and (c) of subsection

  4  (3), subsections (4) and (5), paragraph (c) of subsection (6),

  5  and subsections (7) and (9) of section 381.0403, Florida

  6  Statutes, are amended, and subsection (10) is added to said

  7  section, to read:

  8         381.0403  The Community Hospital Education Act.--

  9         (3)  PROGRAM FOR COMMUNITY HOSPITAL EDUCATION; STATE

10  AND LOCAL PLANNING.--

11         (a)  There is established under the Department of

12  Health Board of Regents a program for statewide graduate

13  medical education.  It is intended that continuing graduate

14  medical education programs for interns and residents be

15  established on a statewide basis.  The program shall provide

16  financial support for primary care specialty interns and

17  residents based on policies recommended and approved by the

18  Community Hospital Education Council, herein established, and

19  the department Board of Regents. Only those programs with at

20  least three residents or interns in each year of the training

21  program are qualified to apply for financial support. Programs

22  with fewer than three residents or interns per training year

23  are qualified to apply for financial support, but only if the

24  appropriate accrediting entity for the particular specialty

25  has approved the program for fewer positions. Programs added

26  after fiscal year 1997-1998 shall have 5 years to attain the

27  requisite number of residents or interns. When feasible and to

28  the extent allowed through the General Appropriations Act,

29  state funds shall be used to generate federal matching funds

30  under Medicaid, or other federal programs, and the resulting

31  combined state and federal funds shall be allocated to

                                  2

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida House of Representatives - 2001                HB 1885

    169-459A-01






  1  participating hospitals for the support of graduate medical

  2  education. The department is authorized to spend up to $75,000

  3  of funds provided specifically for purposes of this section,

  4  for administrative costs associated with the production of the

  5  annual report as specified in subsection (9), and for

  6  administration of the council.

  7         (b)  For the purposes of this section, primary care

  8  specialties include emergency medicine, family practice,

  9  internal medicine, pediatrics, psychiatry,

10  obstetrics/gynecology, and combined pediatrics and internal

11  medicine, and other primary care specialties as may be

12  included by the council and the department Board of Regents.

13         (c)  Medical institutions throughout the state may

14  apply to the Community Hospital Education Council for

15  grants-in-aid for financial support of their approved

16  programs.  Recommendations for funding of approved programs

17  shall be forwarded to the department Board of Regents.

18         (4)  PROGRAM FOR GRADUATE MEDICAL EDUCATION

19  INNOVATIONS.--

20         (a)  There is established under the department Board of

21  Regents a program for fostering graduate medical education

22  innovations. Funds appropriated annually by the Legislature

23  for this purpose shall be distributed to participating

24  hospitals, a consortium or consortia of participating

25  hospitals and Florida medical schools, or a Florida medical

26  school for the direct costs of providing graduate medical

27  education in community-based clinical settings, on a

28  competitive grant or formula basis to achieve state health

29  care workforce policy objectives, including, but not limited

30  to:

31

                                  3

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida House of Representatives - 2001                HB 1885

    169-459A-01






  1         1.  Increasing the number of residents in primary care

  2  and other high demand specialties or fellowships;

  3         2.  Enhancing retention of primary care physicians in

  4  Florida practice;

  5         3.  Promoting practice in medically underserved areas

  6  of the state;

  7         4.  Encouraging racial and ethnic diversity within the

  8  state's physician workforce; and

  9         5.  Encouraging increased production of geriatricians.

10         (b)  Participating hospitals, or consortia of

11  participating hospitals and Florida medical schools, or

12  Florida medical schools providing graduate medical education

13  in community-based clinical settings may apply to the

14  Community Hospital Education Council for funding under this

15  innovations program, except when such innovations directly

16  compete with services or programs provided by participating

17  hospitals or consortia of participating hospitals. Innovations

18  program funding shall provide funding based on policies

19  recommended and approved by the Community Hospital Education

20  Council and the department Board of Regents.

21         (c)  Participating hospitals, or consortia of

22  participating hospitals and Florida medical schools, or

23  Florida medical schools providing graduate medical education

24  in community-based clinical settings awarded an innovations

25  grant shall provide the Community Hospital Education Council

26  and the department Board of Regents with an annual report on

27  their project.

28         (5)  FAMILY PRACTICE RESIDENCIES.--In addition to the

29  programs established in subsection (3), the Community Hospital

30  Education Council and the department Board of Regents shall

31  establish an ongoing statewide program of family practice

                                  4

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida House of Representatives - 2001                HB 1885

    169-459A-01






  1  residencies.  The administration of this program shall be in

  2  the manner described in this section.

  3         (6)  COUNCIL AND DIRECTOR.--

  4         (c)  The Secretary of Health Chancellor of the State

  5  University System shall designate an administrator to serve as

  6  staff director.  The council shall elect a chair from among

  7  its membership.  Such other personnel as may be necessary to

  8  carry out the program shall be employed as authorized by the

  9  department Board of Regents.

10         (7)  BOARD OF REGENTS; STANDARDS AND POLICIES.--

11         (a)  The department Board of Regents, with

12  recommendations from the council, shall establish standards

13  and policies for the use and expenditure of graduate medical

14  education funds appropriated pursuant to subsection (8) for a

15  program of community hospital education.  The department board

16  shall establish requirements for hospitals to be qualified for

17  participation in the program which shall include, but not be

18  limited to:

19         1.  Submission of an educational plan and a training

20  schedule.

21         2.  A determination by the council to ascertain that

22  each portion of the program of the hospital provides a high

23  degree of academic excellence and is accredited by the

24  Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education of the

25  American Medical Association or is accredited by the American

26  Osteopathic Association.

27         3.  Supervision of the educational program of the

28  hospital by a physician who is not the hospital administrator.

29         (b)  The department Board of Regents shall periodically

30  review the educational program provided by a participating

31  hospital to assure that the program includes a reasonable

                                  5

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida House of Representatives - 2001                HB 1885

    169-459A-01






  1  amount of both formal and practical training and that the

  2  formal sessions are presented as scheduled in the plan

  3  submitted by each hospital.

  4         (c)  In years that funds are transferred to the Agency

  5  for Health Care Administration, the department Board of

  6  Regents shall certify to the Agency for Health Care

  7  Administration on a quarterly basis the number of primary care

  8  specialty residents and interns at each of the participating

  9  hospitals for which the Community Hospital Education Council

10  and the department board recommends funding.

11         (9)  ANNUAL REPORT ON GRADUATE MEDICAL EDUCATION;

12  COMMITTEE.--

13         (a)  The Board of Regents, the Executive Office of the

14  Governor, the Department of Health, and the Agency for Health

15  Care Administration shall collaborate to establish a committee

16  that shall produce an annual report on graduate medical

17  education.

18         1.  The committee shall consist of 11 members as

19  follows: the five deans of the five Florida medical schools or

20  their designees; two persons appointed by the Governor, one of

21  whom shall be a representative of the Florida Medical

22  Association who has supervised or is currently supervising

23  residents or interns and one of whom shall be a representative

24  of the Florida Hospital Association; two persons appointed by

25  the Secretary of Health Care Administration, one of whom shall

26  be a representative of a statutory teaching hospital and one

27  of whom shall be a physician who has supervised or is

28  currently supervising residents or interns; and two persons

29  appointed by the Secretary of Health, one of whom shall be a

30  representative of a family practice teaching hospital and one

31  of whom shall be a physician who has supervised or is

                                  6

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida House of Representatives - 2001                HB 1885

    169-459A-01






  1  currently supervising residents or interns. With the exception

  2  of the deans, members of the committee shall serve staggered

  3  terms of 4 years; however, for the purpose of providing

  4  staggered terms, the initial appointees of the Governor shall

  5  serve a term of 4 years, the initial appointees of the

  6  Secretary of Health shall serve a term of 3 years, and the

  7  initial appointees of the Secretary of Health Care

  8  Administration shall serve a term of 2 years.

  9         2.  An appointment to fill an unexpired term shall be

10  for the remainder of the unexpired term only. A member shall

11  no longer be eligible to serve on the committee if, at any

12  point during his or her term, the member no longer possesses

13  his or her representative status. The committee shall elect a

14  chair from among its members, who shall serve a 1-year term.

15  To the maximum extent feasible, the committee shall have the

16  same membership as the Graduate Medical Education Study

17  Committee, established by proviso accompanying Specific

18  Appropriation 191 of the 1999-2000 General Appropriations Act.

19  The report shall be provided to the Governor, the President of

20  Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives by

21  January 15 annually. Committee members shall serve without

22  compensation. From the funds provided pursuant to subsection

23  (3), the committee is authorized to expend a maximum of

24  $75,000 per year to provide for administrative costs and

25  contractual services.

26         (b)  The report shall be provided to the Governor, the

27  President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of

28  Representatives by January 15, annually, and shall address the

29  following:

30         1.(a)  The role of residents and medical faculty in the

31  provision of health care.

                                  7

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida House of Representatives - 2001                HB 1885

    169-459A-01






  1         2.(b)  The relationship of graduate medical education

  2  to the state's physician workforce.

  3         3.(c)  The costs of training medical residents for

  4  hospitals, medical schools, teaching hospitals, including all

  5  hospital-medical affiliations, practice plans at all of the

  6  medical schools, and municipalities.

  7         4.(d)  The availability and adequacy of all sources of

  8  revenue to support graduate medical education and recommend

  9  alternative sources of funding for graduate medical education.

10         5.(e)  The use of state and federal appropriated funds

11  for graduate medical education by hospitals receiving such

12  funds.

13         (10)  RULEMAKING.--The department has authority to

14  adopt rules pursuant to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 to implement

15  the provisions of this section.

16         Section 2.  Paragraphs (a) and (b) of subsection (1) of

17  section 409.908, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:

18         409.908  Reimbursement of Medicaid providers.--Subject

19  to specific appropriations, the agency shall reimburse

20  Medicaid providers, in accordance with state and federal law,

21  according to methodologies set forth in the rules of the

22  agency and in policy manuals and handbooks incorporated by

23  reference therein.  These methodologies may include fee

24  schedules, reimbursement methods based on cost reporting,

25  negotiated fees, competitive bidding pursuant to s. 287.057,

26  and other mechanisms the agency considers efficient and

27  effective for purchasing services or goods on behalf of

28  recipients.  Payment for Medicaid compensable services made on

29  behalf of Medicaid eligible persons is subject to the

30  availability of moneys and any limitations or directions

31  provided for in the General Appropriations Act or chapter 216.

                                  8

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida House of Representatives - 2001                HB 1885

    169-459A-01






  1  Further, nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent

  2  or limit the agency from adjusting fees, reimbursement rates,

  3  lengths of stay, number of visits, or number of services, or

  4  making any other adjustments necessary to comply with the

  5  availability of moneys and any limitations or directions

  6  provided for in the General Appropriations Act, provided the

  7  adjustment is consistent with legislative intent.

  8         (1)  Reimbursement to hospitals licensed under part I

  9  of chapter 395 must be made prospectively or on the basis of

10  negotiation.

11         (a)  Reimbursement for inpatient care is limited as

12  provided for in s. 409.905(5), except for:

13         1.  The raising of rate reimbursement caps, excluding

14  rural hospitals.

15         2.  Recognition of the costs of graduate medical

16  education.

17         3.  Other methodologies recognized in the General

18  Appropriations Act.

19

20  During the years funds are transferred from the Department of

21  Health Board of Regents, any reimbursement supported by such

22  funds shall be subject to certification by the Department of

23  Health Board of Regents that the hospital has complied with s.

24  381.0403. The agency is authorized to receive funds from state

25  entities, including, but not limited to, the Department of

26  Health, the Board of Regents, local governments, and other

27  local political subdivisions, for the purpose of making

28  special exception payments, including federal matching funds,

29  through the Medicaid inpatient reimbursement methodologies.

30  Funds received from state entities or local governments for

31  this purpose shall be separately accounted for and shall not

                                  9

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida House of Representatives - 2001                HB 1885

    169-459A-01






  1  be commingled with other state or local funds in any manner.

  2  The agency may certify all local governmental funds used as

  3  state match under Title XIX of the Social Security Act, to the

  4  extent that the identified local health care provider that is

  5  otherwise entitled to and is contracted to receive such local

  6  funds is the benefactor under the state's Medicaid program as

  7  determined under the General Appropriations Act and pursuant

  8  to an agreement between the Agency for Health Care

  9  Administration and the local governmental entity. The local

10  governmental entity shall use a certification form prescribed

11  by the agency. At a minimum, the certification form shall

12  identify the amount being certified and describe the

13  relationship between the certifying local government entity

14  and local health care provider. The agency shall prepare an

15  annual statement of impact that documents the specific

16  activities undertaken during the previous fiscal year pursuant

17  to this paragraph, to be submitted to the Legislature no later

18  than January 1, annually. Notwithstanding this section and s.

19  409.915, counties are exempt from contributing toward the cost

20  of the special exception reimbursement for hospitals serving a

21  disproportionate share of low-income persons and providing

22  graduate medical education.

23         (b)  Reimbursement for hospital outpatient care is

24  limited to $1,500 per state fiscal year per recipient, except

25  for:

26         1.  Such care provided to a Medicaid recipient under

27  age 21, in which case the only limitation is medical

28  necessity.

29         2.  Renal dialysis services.

30         3.  Other exceptions made by the agency.

31

                                  10

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida House of Representatives - 2001                HB 1885

    169-459A-01






  1  The agency is authorized to receive funds from state entities,

  2  including, but not limited to, the Department of Health, the

  3  Board of Regents, local governments, and other local political

  4  subdivisions, for the purpose of making payments, including

  5  federal matching funds, through the Medicaid outpatient

  6  reimbursement methodologies. Funds received from state

  7  entities and local governments for this purpose shall be

  8  separately accounted for and shall not be commingled with

  9  other state or local funds in any manner.

10         Section 3.  Paragraph (d) of subsection (1) of section

11  409.911, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

12         409.911  Disproportionate share program.--Subject to

13  specific allocations established within the General

14  Appropriations Act and any limitations established pursuant to

15  chapter 216, the agency shall distribute, pursuant to this

16  section, moneys to hospitals providing a disproportionate

17  share of Medicaid or charity care services by making quarterly

18  Medicaid payments as required. Notwithstanding the provisions

19  of s. 409.915, counties are exempt from contributing toward

20  the cost of this special reimbursement for hospitals serving a

21  disproportionate share of low-income patients.

22         (1)  Definitions.--As used in this section and s.

23  409.9112:

24         (d)  "Charity care" or "uncompensated charity care"

25  means that portion of hospital charges reported to the Agency

26  for Health Care Administration for which there is no

27  compensation, other than restricted and unrestricted revenues

28  provided to a hospital by local governments or tax districts

29  regardless of the method of payment, for care provided to a

30  patient whose family income for the 12 months preceding the

31  determination is less than or equal to 150 percent of the

                                  11

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida House of Representatives - 2001                HB 1885

    169-459A-01






  1  federal poverty level, unless the amount of hospital charges

  2  due from the patient exceeds 25 percent of the annual family

  3  income.  However, in no case shall the hospital charges for a

  4  patient whose family income exceeds four times the federal

  5  poverty level for a family of four be considered charity.

  6         Section 4.  Subsection (2) of section 409.9117, Florida

  7  Statutes, is amended to read:

  8         409.9117  Primary care disproportionate share

  9  program.--

10         (2)  In the establishment and funding of this program,

11  the agency shall use the following criteria in addition to

12  those specified in s. 409.911., Payments may not be made to a

13  hospital unless the hospital agrees to:

14         (a)  Cooperate with a Medicaid prepaid health plan, if

15  one exists in the community.

16         (b)  Ensure the availability of primary and specialty

17  care physicians to Medicaid recipients who are not enrolled in

18  a prepaid capitated arrangement and who are in need of access

19  to such physicians.

20         (c)  Coordinate and provide primary care services free

21  of charge, except copayments, to all persons with incomes up

22  to 100 percent of the federal poverty level who are not

23  otherwise covered by Medicaid or another program that provides

24  similar benefits administered by a governmental entity, and to

25  provide such services based on a sliding fee scale to all

26  persons with incomes up to 200 percent of the federal poverty

27  level who are not otherwise covered by Medicaid or another

28  program that provides similar benefits administered by a

29  governmental entity, except that eligibility may be limited to

30  persons who reside within a more limited area, as agreed to by

31  the agency and the hospital.

                                  12

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida House of Representatives - 2001                HB 1885

    169-459A-01






  1         (d)  Contract with any federally qualified health

  2  center, if one exists within the agreed geopolitical

  3  boundaries, concerning the provision of primary care services,

  4  in order to guarantee delivery of services in a nonduplicative

  5  fashion, and to provide for referral arrangements, privileges,

  6  and admissions, as appropriate.  The hospital shall agree to

  7  provide at an onsite or offsite facility primary care services

  8  within 24 hours to which all Medicaid recipients and persons

  9  eligible under this paragraph who do not require emergency

10  room services are referred during normal daylight hours.

11         (e)  Cooperate with the agency, the county, and other

12  entities to ensure the provision of certain public health

13  services, case management, referral and acceptance of

14  patients, and sharing of epidemiological data, as the agency

15  and the hospital find mutually necessary and desirable to

16  promote and protect the public health within the agreed

17  geopolitical boundaries.

18         (f)  In cooperation with the county in which the

19  hospital resides, develop a low-cost, outpatient, prepaid

20  health care program to persons who are not eligible for the

21  Medicaid program, and who reside within the area.

22         (g)  Provide inpatient services to residents within the

23  area who are not eligible for Medicaid or Medicare, and who do

24  not have private health insurance, regardless of ability to

25  pay, on the basis of available space, except that nothing

26  shall prevent the hospital from establishing bill collection

27  programs based on ability to pay.

28         (h)  Work with the Florida Healthy Kids Corporation,

29  the Florida Health Care Purchasing Cooperative, and business

30  health coalitions, as appropriate, to develop a feasibility

31  study and plan to provide a low-cost comprehensive health

                                  13

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida House of Representatives - 2001                HB 1885

    169-459A-01






  1  insurance plan to persons who reside within the area and who

  2  do not have access to such a plan.

  3         (i)  Work with public health officials and other

  4  experts to provide community health education and prevention

  5  activities designed to promote healthy lifestyles and

  6  appropriate use of health services.

  7         (j)  Work with the local health council to develop a

  8  plan for promoting access to affordable health care services

  9  for all persons who reside within the area, including, but not

10  limited to, public health services, primary care services,

11  inpatient services, and affordable health insurance generally.

12

13  Any hospital that fails to comply with any of the provisions

14  of this subsection, or any other contractual condition, may

15  not receive payments under this section until full compliance

16  is achieved.

17         Section 5.  All the statutory powers, duties, and

18  functions and the records, personnel, property, and unexpended

19  balances of appropriations, allocations, or other funds of the

20  programs under the Community Hospital Education Act are

21  transferred from the Board of Regents to the Department of

22  Health by a type two transfer as defined in s. 20.06, Florida

23  Statutes.

24         Section 6.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2001.

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

                                  14

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida House of Representatives - 2001                HB 1885

    169-459A-01






  1            *****************************************

  2                          HOUSE SUMMARY

  3
      Transfers the programs for community hospital education
  4    and graduate medical education under the "Community
      Hospital Education Act" from the Board of Regents to the
  5    Department of Health. Authorizes expenditure of a
      specified amount for administrative costs. Authorizes
  6    participation in the innovations grant program by
      individual Florida medical schools providing graduate
  7    education in community-based settings. Revises membership
      on a committee producing an annual report on graduate
  8    medical education. Provides Department of Health
      rulemaking authority. Authorizes the Agency for Health
  9    Care Administration to certify local government funds
      used as state Medicaid matching funds, under certain
10    circumstances. Requires an annual impact statement
      documenting such certification activities. Revises the
11    definition of "charity care" under the disproportionate
      share program. Revises criteria for participation in the
12    primary care disproportionate care program. See bill for
      details.
13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

                                  15

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.