HLS 15RS-2292 ORIGINAL
2015 Regular Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 193
BY REPRESENTATIVES KLECKLEY AND DANAHAY AND SENATORS JOHNS
AND MORRISH
HOSPITALS: Creates the Calcasieu Hospital Council to address the issue of
uncompensated care costs incurred by hospitals in Calcasieu Parish
1 A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
2To establish the Calcasieu Hospital Council for the purposes of studying the issue of
3 uncompensated care costs for hospital inpatient and outpatient acute care for
4 non-rural acute care hospitals in Calcasieu Parish and developing efforts and
5 solutions to reduce uncompensated care costs for parish hospitals.
6 WHEREAS, the effort of the state to enter into a cooperative endeavor agreement
7(CEA) with Lake Charles Memorial Hospital to take over the provision of safety-net hospital
8inpatient and outpatient acute care and indigent care formerly provided by W. O. Moss
9Regional Medical Center in Lake Charles was the impetus for the closure in June of 2013
10of that medical center, which had previously been operated by Louisiana State University
11(LSU); and
12 WHEREAS, to facilitate the transition of safety-net hospital inpatient and outpatient
13acute care and indigent care delivery in Lake Charles, the state provided additional
14compensation through an enhanced level of Medicaid funding to Lake Charles Memorial
15Hospital for providing this care; and
16 WHEREAS, after the CEA between the state and Lake Charles Memorial Hospital
17was effectuated, other non-rural acute care hospitals in Calcasieu Parish, referred to hereafter
18as "non-CEA hospitals" experienced a surge in demand for inpatient and outpatient acute
19care for which they have received no additional compensation, as they were not parties to
20the Medicaid-financed CEA with the state; and
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HCR NO. 193
1 WHEREAS, these circumstances have created an imbalance in Calcasieu Parish in
2which non-CEA hospitals are providing uncompensated care at increased and unsustainable
3levels; and
4 WHEREAS, this imbalance now threatens the financial stability of the non-CEA
5hospitals in the parish.
6 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
7create the Calcasieu Hospital Council, which shall be comprised of the following members:
8 (1) The chief executive officer of Lake Charles Memorial Hospital or his designee.
9 (2) The chief executive officer of Christus St. Patrick Hospital or his designee.
10 (3) The chief executive officer of West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital or his designee.
11 (4) The chief executive officer of Lake Area Medical Center or his designee.
12 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the purpose of the council shall be to study the
13issue of uncompensated care in Calcasieu Parish on a hospital by hospital basis and to
14undertake efforts to develop solutions to take advantage of funding on the local, state, and
15federal level to mitigate and reduce uncompensated care costs for the hospitals in the parish.
16 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the council is hereby authorized to act by a
17majority vote of its members in favor to carry out functions including but not limited to the
18following:
19 (1) Secure the services of a recognized expert in Medicaid health services financing
20to facilitate all meetings of the council as well as assist in developing viable options for
21increasing funding by leveraging local and state financial resources as called for in this
22Resolution.
23 (2) Secure any other professional services it deems necessary for conducting the
24business of the council.
25 (3) Establish better coordination of indigent care delivered in Calcasieu Parish
26between all hospitals, recognizing where reimbursement may be obtained for such delivery
27of care.
28 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that any expenses of the council for professional
29services shall be divided equally among the council members.
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HCR NO. 193
1 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the council shall meet periodically as deemed
2necessary by the council members, and at the direction of its facilitator.
3 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Health and Hospitals shall,
4upon request, provide consultation to the council in the development of the reimbursement
5methodology called for in this Resolution.
6 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that any methodology or solutions developed
7pursuant to this Resolution shall not increase the overall reimbursement for uncompensated
8hospital inpatient and outpatient acute care in Calcasieu Parish unless additional non-federal
9Medicaid matching funds are identified for that purpose.
10 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the council shall submit an update to the
11legislature on or before October 1, 2015, concerning development of the methodology and
12any other recommended solutions or action items called for in this Resolution.
13 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the council shall submit recommendations to the
14legislature on or before January 1, 2016.
15 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution shall be transmitted
16to the secretary of the Department of Health and Hospitals and to the chief executive officers
17of Lake Charles Memorial Hospital, Christus St. Patrick Hospital, West Calcasieu Cameron
18Hospital, and Lake Area Medical Center.
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HCR 193 Original 2015 Regular Session Kleckley
Establishes the Calcasieu Hospital Council for the purposes of studying the issue of
uncompensated care costs incurred by non-rural acute care hospitals in Calcasieu Parish, and
directs the council to report recommendations to the legislature.
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