Florida Senate - 2009                                     SB 556
       
       
       
       By Senator Gaetz
       
       
       
       
       4-00515-09                                             2009556__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the Medicaid program; amending s.
    3         409.911, F.S.; requiring the Agency for Health Care
    4         Administration to make and submit recommendations to
    5         the Governor and the Legislature regarding the
    6         financing of and distribution of funds for the low
    7         income pool plan and the disproportionate share
    8         program; abolishing the Medicaid Low-Income Pool
    9         Council; providing an effective date.
   10         
   11  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   12         
   13         Section 1. Subsection (9) of section 409.911, Florida
   14  Statutes, is amended to read:
   15         409.911 Disproportionate share program.—Subject to specific
   16  allocations established within the General Appropriations Act
   17  and any limitations established pursuant to chapter 216, the
   18  agency shall distribute, pursuant to this section, moneys to
   19  hospitals providing a disproportionate share of Medicaid or
   20  charity care services by making quarterly Medicaid payments as
   21  required. Notwithstanding the provisions of s. 409.915, counties
   22  are exempt from contributing toward the cost of this special
   23  reimbursement for hospitals serving a disproportionate share of
   24  low-income patients.
   25         (9) By February 1 of each year, the Agency for Health Care
   26  Administration shall make and submit recommendations to the
   27  Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the
   28  House of Representatives regarding the financing of the low
   29  income pool plan and the disproportionate share program and the
   30  distribution of those funds to hospitals on the basis of
   31  objective and equitable criteria, including consideration of the
   32  amount of Medicaid, charity, and uncompensated care provided by
   33  hospitals. The Agency for Health Care Administration shall
   34  create a Medicaid Low-Income Pool Council by July 1, 2006. The
   35  Low-Income Pool Council shall consist of 17 members, including 3
   36  representatives of statutory teaching hospitals, 3
   37  representatives of public hospitals, 3 representatives of
   38  nonprofit hospitals, 3 representatives of for-profit hospitals,
   39  2 representatives of rural hospitals, 2 representatives of units
   40  of local government which contribute funding, and 1
   41  representative of family practice teaching hospitals. The
   42  council shall:
   43         (a) Make recommendations on the financing of the low-income
   44  pool and the disproportionate share hospital program and the
   45  distribution of their funds.
   46         (b) Advise the Agency for Health Care Administration on the
   47  development of the low-income pool plan required by the federal
   48  Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services pursuant to the
   49  Medicaid reform waiver.
   50         (c) Advise the Agency for Health Care Administration on the
   51  distribution of hospital funds used to adjust inpatient hospital
   52  rates, rebase rates, or otherwise exempt hospitals from
   53  reimbursement limits as financed by intergovernmental transfers.
   54         (d) Submit its findings and recommendations to the Governor
   55  and the Legislature no later than February 1 of each year.
   56         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2009.