House Bill hb0055

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




    Florida House of Representatives - 2001                  HB 55

        By Representative Fasano






  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 a contingent 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 are different

18  than when the assessment on hospitals was instituted in 1984

19  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 and outpatient services to fund public medical

                                  1

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






    Florida House of Representatives - 2001                  HB 55

    565-190-01






  1  assistance; administrative fines for failure to pay

  2  assessments when due; 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 House of Representatives - 2001                  HB 55

    565-190-01






  1  an amount sufficient to replace the funds lost due to the

  2  reduction by this act in the assessment on hospitals under s.

  3  395.701, Florida Statutes, and the reduction by this act of

  4  the assessment on other health care entities under s.

  5  395.7015, Florida Statutes, and to maintain federal approval

  6  of the reduced amount of funds deposited into the Public

  7  Medical Assistance Trust Fund under s. 395.701, Florida

  8  Statutes, as state match for the state's Medicaid program.

  9         Section 4.  There is appropriated the sum of $_____

10  million from the General Revenue Fund to the Agency for Health

11  Care Administration to implement the provisions of this act

12  relating to the Public Medical Assistance Trust Fund; however,

13  no portion of this appropriation that duplicates a similar

14  appropriation for the same purpose contained in other

15  legislation for the 2001 Regular Session that becomes law

16  shall be effective.

17         Section 5.  This act shall take effect only upon the

18  Agency for Health Care Administration receiving written

19  confirmation from the federal Health Care Financing

20  Administration that the amendments contained in this act will

21  not adversely affect the use of the remaining assessments as

22  state match for the state's Medicaid program.

23

24            *****************************************

25                          HOUSE SUMMARY

26
      Reduces the annual assessments on hospital outpatient
27    services and certain other health care entities to fund
      public medical assistance, and provides for annual
28    appropriations to replace the funds lost due to such
      reductions. Takes effect contingent on receipt of certain
29    written confirmation from the federal Health Care
      Financing Administration.
30

31

                                  3

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