NOTICES

DEPARTMENT OF
PUBLIC WELFARE

Public Notice of the Department's Intent to Make a Disproportionate Share Payment to Certain Qualifying Hospitals

[28 Pa.B. 6350]

   The purpose of this notice is to provide prior public notice of the Department of Public Welfare's (Department's) intent to establish an additional class of disproportionate share payments for certain qualifying hospitals. This change is effective January 15, 1999 through June 30, 1999.

   The Department intends to make this payment, in addition to the classes of payment already made under the Medical Assistance (MA) Program, to certain hospitals which the Department has determined provide a high volume of services related to MA births.

   The Department intends to consider a hospital eligible if:

   (a)  The hospital is enrolled as an acute care general hospital (provider type 11); and

   (b)  The hospital is located in a Federal Empowerment Zone; and

   (c)  In Calendar Year 1996, the hospital had more than 3,500 fee-for-service MA claims; and

   (d)  In Calendar Year 1996, more than 25% of the hospital's overall fee-for-service MA claims were related to MA births (specifically, DRGs 370 through 375 and 385 through 391).

   The Department intends to allocate $3.5 million from the State General Fund for this additional disproportionate share payment. Payments will be divided proportionally between qualifying hospitals based on the percentage of each qualifying hospital's fee-for-service MA births to total fee-for-service MA births of all qualifying facilities. All payment limitations are still applicable, namely, the Commonwealth may not exceed its aggregate annual disproportionate share allotment, and no hospital may receive disproportionate share payments in excess of its hospital-specific limit.

   Fiscal Impact

   For Fiscal Year 1998-99, the fiscal impact as a result of the disproportionate share payment will be $7.6 million in total funds ($3.5 million in State General funds and $4.1 million in Federal funds).

   Contact Person

   A copy of this notice is available for review at local County Assistance Offices.

   Interested persons are invited to submit written comments to this notice within 15 days of this publication. These comments should be sent to the Department of Public Welfare, Office of Medical Assistance Programs, c/o Deputy Secretary's Office, Attention: Regulations Coordinator, Room 515 Health and Welfare Building, Harrisburg, PA 17120.

   Persons with a disability may use the AT&T Relay Service by calling (800) 654-5984 (TDD Users) or (800) 654-5988 (Voice Users). Person who require an alternate format should contact Thomas Vracarich at (717) 783-2209.

FEATHER O. HOUSTOUN,   
Secretary

   Fiscal Note: 14-NOT-188. (1) General Fund; (2) Implementing Year 1998-99 is $3.5 million; (3)  1st Succeeding Year 1999-00 is $0 million; 2nd Succeeding Year 2000-01 is $0 million; 3rd Succeeding Year 2001-02 is $0 million; 4th Succeeding Year 2002-03 is $0 million; 5th Succeeding Year 2003-04 is $0 million; (4)  FY 1997-98 $428 million; FY 1996-97 $436 million; FY 1995-96 $452 million; (7)  Medical Assistance-Inpatient; (8)  recommends adoption. This is a one-time increase in payments. Funds are included in the 1998-99 budget for this purpose.

[Pa.B. Doc. No. 98-2125. Filed for public inspection December 24, 1998, 9:00 a.m.]

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