NOTICES
DEPARTMENT OF
HUMAN SERVICES
Payments to Nonpublic and County Nursing Facilities; Proposed Rates for State Fiscal Year 2018-2019
[48 Pa.B. 3825]
[Saturday, June 23, 2018]This notice announces the Department of Human Services (Department) proposed annual case-mix per diem payment rates for State Fiscal Year (FY) 2018-2019 for nonpublic and county nursing facilities that participate in the Medical Assistance (MA) Program.
Nonpublic Nursing Facility Per Diem Rates
As required by the case-mix payment methodology in 55 Pa. Code Chapter 1187, Subchapter G (relating to rate setting), the Department intends to set an annual MA per diem rate for each nonpublic nursing facility provider. Each facility's annual per diem rate will have four components: resident care; other resident related; administrative; and capital. For each quarter of FY 2018-2019, the Department will adjust the resident care component of each facility's rate by multiplying the resident care component by the facility's MA case-mix index (CMI) for the appropriate picture date.
In addition, as required by section 443.1(7)(iv) of the Human Services Code (62 P.S. § 443.1(7)(iv)), regarding MA payments for institutional care, the Department intends to adjust each facility's CMI-adjusted quarterly rate by multiplying the rate by a budget adjustment factor (BAF).
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) approved State Plan Amendment (SPA) 17-0011 on September 15, 2017, which includes the BAF formula the Department will use for nonpublic nursing facilities in FY 2018-2019. SPA 17-0011 states that for rate setting years 2017-2018 and 2018-2019, the BAF will limit the estimated Statewide day-weighted average payment rate for MA nursing facility services for nonpublic nursing facilities so that the average payment rate in effect for the fiscal year is limited to the amount permitted by the funds appropriated by the General Appropriations Act for the fiscal year.1 A BAF will be calculated each quarter of FY 2018-2019 for nonpublic nursing facilities.
The Department will use the following formula to determine the Quarterly BAF: Annual target rate divided by the weighted average quarterly rate at 100% equals the Quarterly BAF. If the Quarterly BAF as calculated is greater than 1.0, the Quarterly BAF will equal 1.0. A detailed description of the BAF formula for FY 2018-2019 is in the notice ''Payment for Nursing Facility Services Provided by Nonpublic Nursing Facilities; Notice of Change in Methods and Standards of Setting Payment Rates; Budget Adjustment Factor'' published at 47 Pa.B. 3562 (June 24, 2017).
Finally, in calculating the proposed rates, the Department assumed that the General Appropriation Act of 2018 will include the same level of funding that was in the General Appropriation Act of 2017.
County Nursing Facility Per Diem Rates
As required by the rate methodology in 55 Pa. Code Chapter 1189, Subchapter D (relating to rate setting), the Department intends to set an annual MA per diem rate for each county nursing facility provider. As specified in 55 Pa. Code § 1189.91(b) (relating to per diem rates for county nursing facilities), for each rate year beginning on or after July 1, 2007, the per diem rate paid to a county nursing facility for a rate year will be the facility's prior rate year per diem multiplied by a BAF determined in accordance with the formula in the Commonwealth's approved State Plan. CMS approved SPA 16-0033 on November 8, 2016, which includes the BAF formula the Department will use for county nursing facilities in FY 2018-2019. The formula is as follows: BAF = 1.00 + the percentage rate of change permitted by the funds appropriated by the General Appropriations Act for the applicable rate year. In calculating the proposed rates, the Department assumed that the General Appropriation Act of 2018 will include the same level of funding that was in the General Appropriation Act of 2017.2
The proposed annual per diem rates for FY 2018-2019, the July Quarterly BAF that will be applied to nonpublic nursing facility rates and the annual BAF that will be applied to county nursing facilities are available on the Department's web site at http://www.dhs.pa.gov/provider/longtermcarecasemixinformation/index.htm and at local county assistance offices throughout this Commonwealth or by contacting Marilyn Yocum, Department of Human Services, Office of Long-Term Living at (717) 772-2549.
Fiscal Impact
If the proposed payment rates are adopted as final, there is no fiscal impact for per diem rate payments for nonpublic and county nursing facilities for FY 2018-2019. The amount of funding available for this program is dependent upon the funds appropriated by the General Assembly in the forthcoming fiscal year. Therefore, until a budget bill is passed and enacted, any estimated fiscal impact associated with this notice is based on the funding levels in the General Appropriation Act of 2017.
Public Comment
Interested persons are invited to submit written comments regarding the proposed annual rates for FY 2018-2019 to the Department of Human Services, Office of Long-Term Living, Bureau of Policy and Regulatory Management, Attention: Marilyn Yocum, P.O. Box 8025, Harrisburg, PA 17105-8025. Comments received within 30 days will be reviewed and considered.
Persons with a disability who require an auxiliary aid or service may submit comments using the Pennsylvania AT&T Relay Service at (800) 654-5984 (TDD users) or (800) 654-5988 (voice users).
TERESA D. MILLER,
SecretaryFiscal Note: 14-NOT-1234. No fiscal impact; (8) recommends adoption.
[Pa.B. Doc. No. 18-977. Filed for public inspection June 22, 2018, 9:00 a.m.] _______
1 The Department will finalize the BAF once the General Assembly has enacted a General Appropriations Act for FY 2018-2019 and will include the BAF in the Department's notice announcing final MA nursing facility payment rates for the rate-setting year.
2 The Department will finalize the BAF once the General Assembly has enacted a General Appropriations Act for FY 2018-2019 and will include the BAF in its notice announcing final MA nursing facility payment rates for the rate-setting year.
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