ENROLLED
ACT No. 299
2019 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 204
BY REPRESENTATIVE PIERRE AND SENATOR JOHNS
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 46:2626(F)(1)(introductory paragraph), (G)(1) and (5),
3 (H)(1)(d), and (I)(7), relative to Medicaid provider fees; to provide relative to fees
4 on emergency ground ambulance service providers for healthcare services funded by
5 the state Medicaid program; to authorize the Louisiana Department of Health to levy
6 and collect fees on nonpublic providers of emergency ground ambulance services for
7 certain nonemergency transportation services; to provide conditions under which the
8 department may assess such fees; to provide for reimbursement enhancements for
9 providers of certain services subject to Medicaid provider fees; to provide for uses
10 of funds from the Emergency Ground Ambulance Service Provider Trust Fund
11 Account established by the state treasurer within the Louisiana Medical Assistance
12 Trust Fund; to provide for definitions; and to provide for related matters.
13 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
14 Section 1. R.S. 46:2626(F)(1)(introductory paragraph), (G)(1) and (5), (H)(1)(d), and
15 (I)(7) are hereby amended and reenacted to read as follows:
16 ยง2626. Fees on emergency ground ambulance service providers; disposition of fees
17 * * *
18 F. Notwithstanding any provision of this Section to the contrary, the
19 department shall adopt and promulgate, pursuant to the Administrative Procedure
20 Act and in compliance with Article VII, Section 10.14 of the Constitution of
21 Louisiana, a fee to be imposed pursuant to Subsection A of this Section in
22 accordance with all of the following:
23 (1) The department shall calculate, levy, and collect a fee from every
24 emergency ground ambulance service provider on each emergency and
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1 nonemergency ground ambulance transport upon the occurrence of all of the
2 following:
3 * * *
4 G. For each year in which the assessment is in effect, the department shall
5 provide for reimbursement enhancements in accordance with all of the following:
6 (1) Reimbursement or payment to emergency ground ambulance service
7 providers by any state or state-sponsored program, including but not limited to the
8 Bayou Health Plans or their successors, at or above rates at the level which were in
9 effect on July 1, 2015, for emergency and nonemergency transport and related
10 services provided pursuant to the Louisiana medical assistance program provided
11 that funds are appropriated in the budget.
12 * * *
13 (5) Funds from the Emergency Ground Ambulance Service Provider Trust
14 Fund Account shall be used to achieve the maximum reimbursement under federal
15 law and appropriated solely to fund the reimbursement enhancements provided for
16 in Paragraph (4) of this Subsection as provided in the most recent formula adopted
17 by the legislature or the secretary as applicable and distributed exclusively among
18 emergency ground ambulance service providers for emergency and nonemergency
19 ambulance transportation services provided.
20 H.(1) No additional assessment shall be collected and any assessment shall
21 be terminated for the remainder of the fiscal year from the date on which any of the
22 following occur:
23 * * *
24 (d) The amount of the reimbursement for emergency and nonemergency
25 ground ambulance services payable by any participant in the Bayou Health Plan or
26 Medicaid managed care organization falls below one hundred percent of the
27 Medicaid rate in effect at the time the service is rendered.
28 * * *
29 I. For purposes of this Section, the following definitions apply:
30 * * *
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1 (7) "Net operating revenue" means the gross revenues of the emergency
2 ground ambulance service provider for the provision of emergency and
3 nonemergency ground ambulance transportation services, excluding any Medicaid
4 reimbursements, less any deducted amounts for bad debts, charity care, and payer
5 discounts.
6 * * *
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED:
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.