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2017 Regular Session
SENATE BILL NO. 88
BY SENATOR LONG
Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
HEALTH CARE. Provides for a rural health clinic look-alike. (8/1/17)
1 AN ACT
2 To enact R.S. 46:460.72, relative to rural health clinic look-alike entities; to provide for
3 creation of a provider type in any parish with a population greater than thirty-nine
4 thousand and less than forty-one thousand, according to the latest federal decennial
5 census; to provide for Medicaid reimbursement; and to provide for related matters.
6 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
7 Section 1. R.S. 46:460.72 is hereby enacted to read as follows:
8 ยง460.72. Reimbursement; rural health clinic look-alike
9 A. A rural health clinic look-alike is a physician's office, urgent care
10 clinic, or similar health care provider setting which the Louisiana Department
11 of Health finds to meet all material requirements for licensure as a rural health
12 clinic except those based on location, and its physical location is less than two
13 miles from a location where the health care provider would be eligible for
14 certification as a rural health clinic.
15 B. The department shall cause each managed care organization defined
16 in R.S. 46:460.51 to pay for the services provided by physicians, advanced
17 practice registered nurses, and physician assistants in a rural health clinic look-
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 88
SLS 17RS-361 ENGROSSED
1 alike the same amount and according to the same terms as rural health clinics.
2 C. The provisions of this Section shall only apply:
3 (1) In any parish with a population greater than thirty-nine thousand
4 and less than forty-one thousand, according to the latest federal decennial
5 census.
6 (2) To physicians, advanced practice registered nurses, and physician
7 assistants who are enrolled as providers in the Louisiana Medicaid program and
8 the services they provide are otherwise reimbursable as Medicaid covered
9 services.
10 (3) If it can be implemented through the use of federal Medicaid
11 matching funds.
12 D. The legislature finds and declares that the intent of this Section is to
13 provide for a minimum Medicaid reimbursement amount paid for otherwise
14 eligible Medicaid services to health care providers in certain parishes.
15 E. The Louisiana Department of Health shall submit a written report to
16 the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget no later than October 1, 2017,
17 to include identification of all necessary actions required to implement the
18 provisions of this Section and a timeline for such implementation.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Christine Arbo Peck.
DIGEST
SB 88 Engrossed 2017 Regular Session Long
Proposed law creates rural health clinic look-alike entities, a new Medicaid provider type
designation, in any parish with a population greater than thirty-nine thousand and less than
forty-one thousand, according to the latest federal decennial census. Proposed law
establishes that a rural health clinic look-alike may be physicians, advanced practice
registered nurses, and physician assistants that do not meet the federal criteria of rural health
clinic, but are within two miles of a location that would satisfy the criteria. Proposed law
mandates Medicaid reimbursement for rural health clinic look-alike providers at the rate
established for rural health clinics if reimbursement is implemented through federal
matching funds.
Proposed law provides that the Louisiana Department of Health shall submit a written report
to the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget no later than October 1, 2017, with a status
update on implementation of proposed law.
Effective August 1, 2017.
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 88
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(Adds R.S. 46:460.72)
Summary of Amendments Adopted by Senate
Committee Amendments Proposed by Senate Committee on Health and Welfare to
the original bill
1. Limits bill applicability to any parish with a population greater than thirty-
nine thousand and less than forty-one thousand, according to the latest
federal decennial census.
2. Changes physical location from less than three miles to less than two miles
from a location where the health care provider would have otherwise
satisfied the requirements of a rural health clinic.
3. Identifies physicians, advanced practice registered nurses, and physician's
assistants as provider types eligible for enhanced Medicaid reimbursement
as a rural health clinic look-alike.
4. Clarifies that legislative intent is to pay these providers a certain minimum
Medicaid reimbursement rate if it can be implemented with federal Medicaid
matching funds.
5. Requires the Louisiana Department of Health to submit a report by October
1, 2017, regarding status of implementation.
Page 3 of 3
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.