NOTICES
Additional Class of Disproportionate Share Payments to Qualifying Teaching Hospitals
[45 Pa.B. 732]
[Saturday, February 7, 2015]The Department of Human Services (Department) is providing final notice of its changes to the qualifying criteria and payment methodology for disproportionate share hospital (DSH) payments to qualifying teaching hospitals that provide psychiatric services to Medical Assistance (MA) beneficiaries. Additionally, the Department also is providing final notice of its funding allocation for this payment for Fiscal Year (FY) 2013-2014. This DSH payment is intended to help offset medical education costs of psychiatrists which are incurred by hospitals providing psychiatric care to MA beneficiaries and the uninsured.
The Department is modifying the qualifying criteria for DSH payments to qualifying acute care general hospitals. The Department will consider any psychiatric unit of a general acute care hospital enrolled in Pennsylvania's (PA) MA Program with PA MA psychiatric medical education costs that exceed $40,000, according to its FY 2010-2011 MA Cost Report, eligible for this additional class of DSH payments if it meets one of the following criteria:
1. The hospital provides at least 40,000 psychiatric days of service to PA MA beneficiaries as reported on its 2010-2011 MA Cost Report.
2. The hospital's percentage of PA MA fee-for-service (FFS) inpatient psychiatric days to total PA MA FFS inpatient days exceeds 25% as reported on its FY 2010-2011 MA Cost Report.
The Department is also modifying the payment methodology for these DSH payments. Specifically, the Department is distributing 2/3 of the amount allocated for these payments equally among teaching hospitals qualifying under previously listed criteria 1. The Department is distributing 1/3 of the amount allocated for these payments equally among teaching hospitals qualifying under previously listed criteria 2. Hospitals that qualify under both criteria are eligible only for payment under criteria 1.
The Department has allocated funding for these DSH payments at the same level as allocated for FY 2012-2013.
Payment limitations are still applicable, including those limitations prohibiting the Commonwealth from exceeding its aggregate annual DSH allotment and prohibiting a hospital from receiving DSH payments in excess of its hospital-specific limit.
The Department published notice of its intent to allocate funding for these DSH payments at 44 Pa.B. 2588 (April 26, 2014). The Department received no public comments during the 30-day comment period, and will implement the changes as described in its notice of intent.
Fiscal Impact
The FY 2013-2014 impact, as a result of the funding allocation for these payments is $0.500 million ($0.232 million in State general funds and $0.268 million in Federal funds).
BEVERLY D. MACKERETH,
SecretaryFiscal Note: 14-NOT-936. (1) General Fund; (2) Implementing Year 2013-14 is $232,000; (3) 1st Succeeding Year 2014-15 through 5th Succeeding Year 2018-19 are $0; (4) 2013-14—Program $163,862,000; 2012-13 Program—$268,112,000; 2011-12 Program—$325,685,000; (7) MA—Inpatient; (8) recommends adoption. Funds have been included in the budget to cover this increase.
[Pa.B. Doc. No. 15-243. Filed for public inspection February 6, 2015, 9:00 a.m.]
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