Senate Bill sb0254
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 2001 SB 254
By Senator Saunders
25-312-01 See HB
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to public medical assistance;
3 amending s. 395.701, F.S.; reducing the annual
4 assessment on hospital outpatient services to
5 fund public medical assistance; amending s.
6 395.7015, F.S.; reducing the annual assessment
7 on certain other health care entities to fund
8 public medical assistance; providing for annual
9 appropriations to replace funds lost due to
10 such reductions; providing an appropriation;
11 providing an effective date.
12
13 WHEREAS, the Legislature finds that the provision of
14 indigent care is a broad societal responsibility not to be
15 placed solely on those who provide or receive health care, and
16 WHEREAS, the Legislature finds that the current
17 economic conditions for health care entities differ from those
18 existing when the assessment on hospitals was instituted in
19 1984 and the assessment on other health care entities was
20 instituted in 1991, and
21 WHEREAS, because these assessments place a great burden
22 on hospitals and other health care entities, it is the intent
23 of the Legislature by this act to provide relief to hospitals
24 and other health care entities, NOW, THEREFORE,
25
26 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
27
28 Section 1. Paragraph (b) of subsection (2) of section
29 395.701, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
30 395.701 Annual assessments on net operating revenues
31 for inpatient services to fund public medical assistance;
1
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 2001 SB 254
25-312-01 See HB
1 administrative fines for failure to pay assessments when due;
2 exemption.--
3 (2)
4 (b) There is imposed upon each hospital an assessment
5 in an amount equal to 0.5 1 percent of the annual net
6 operating revenue for outpatient services for each hospital,
7 such revenue to be determined by the agency, based on the
8 actual experience of the hospital as reported to the agency.
9 Within 6 months after the end of each hospital fiscal year,
10 the agency shall certify the amount of the assessment for each
11 hospital. The assessment shall be payable to and collected by
12 the agency in equal quarterly amounts, on or before the first
13 day of each calendar quarter, beginning with the first full
14 calendar quarter that occurs after the agency certifies the
15 amount of the assessment for each hospital. All moneys
16 collected pursuant to this subsection shall be deposited into
17 the Public Medical Assistance Trust Fund.
18 Section 2. Paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of section
19 395.7015, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
20 395.7015 Annual assessment on health care entities.--
21 (2) There is imposed an annual assessment against
22 certain health care entities as described in this section:
23 (a) The assessment shall be equal to 0.5 1 percent of
24 the annual net operating revenues of health care entities. The
25 assessment shall be payable to and collected by the agency.
26 Assessments shall be based on annual net operating revenues
27 for the entity's most recently completed fiscal year as
28 provided in subsection (3).
29 Section 3. The Legislature shall appropriate each
30 fiscal year from either the General Revenue Fund or the Agency
31 for Health Care Administration Tobacco Settlement Trust Fund
2
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 2001 SB 254
25-312-01 See HB
1 an amount sufficient to replace the funds lost due to the
2 reduction by this act in the assessment on hospitals under
3 section 395.701, Florida Statutes, and the reduction by this
4 act of the assessment on other health care entities under
5 section 395.7015, Florida Statutes, and to maintain federal
6 approval of the reduced amount of funds deposited into the
7 Public Medical Assistance Trust Fund under section 395.701,
8 Florida Statutes, as state match for the state's Medicaid
9 program.
10 Section 4. The sum of $_____ million is appropriated
11 from the General Revenue Fund to the Agency for Health Care
12 Administration to implement the provisions of this act
13 relating to the Public Medical Assistance Trust Fund; however,
14 this appropriation shall be reduced by the amount of any other
15 appropriation for the same purpose contained in other
16 legislation enacted during the 2001 Regular Session which
17 becomes law.
18 Section 5. This act shall take effect upon becoming a
19 law.
20
21 *****************************************
22 LEGISLATIVE SUMMARY
23 Reduces the annual assessments on hospital outpatient
services and certain other health care entities to fund
24 public medical assistance, and provides for annual
appropriations to replace the funds lost due to such
25 reductions. Takes effect contingent on receipt of certain
written confirmation from the federal Health Care
26 Financing Administration.
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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.