Massachusetts 2023-2024 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H1217 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1 of 1
2	2	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1456 FILED ON: 1/18/2023
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1217
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	John J. Lawn, Jr.
8	8	_________________
9	9	To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
10	10	Court assembled:
11	11	The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
12	12	An Act to address the financial sustainability of the Health Safety Net.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:John J. Lawn, Jr.10th Middlesex1/18/2023Smitty Pignatelli3rd Berkshire1/31/2023Christopher Hendricks11th Bristol1/31/2023Vanna Howard17th Middlesex2/2/2023 1 of 3
16	16	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1456 FILED ON: 1/18/2023
17	17	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1217
18	18	By Representative Lawn of Watertown, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1217) of
19	19	John J. Lawn, Jr. and others relative to the financial sustainability of the Health Safety Net.
20	20	Health Care Financing.
21	21	[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
22	22	SEE HOUSE, NO. 1286 OF 2021-2022.]
23	23	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
24	24	_______________
25	25	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
26	26	(2023-2024)
27	27	_______________
28	28	An Act to address the financial sustainability of the Health Safety Net.
29	29	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
30	30	of the same, as follows:
31	31	1 SECTION 1. Section 2OOO of Chapter 29 of the general laws, as appearing in the 2018
32	32	2Official Edition, shall be amended by striking the third sentence in the second paragraph in its
33	33	3entirety and inserting in place thereof the following:
34	34	4 Money from the fund shall be transferred to the Health Safety Net Trust Fund, or any
35	35	5successor fund, as necessary to provide payments to acute hospitals and community health
36	36	6centers for reimbursable health services. No less than the amounts in subsection (b) of section
37	37	7189 of chapter 149 of the general laws shall be annually transferred to the Health Safety Net
38	38	8Trust Fund. 2 of 3
39	39	9 SECTION 2. Section 64 of Chapter 118E of the general laws, as so appearing, shall be
40	40	10amended by inserting the following new definition:
41	41	11 "Supplemental surcharge amount'', an amount equal to 50 per cent of the annual revenue
42	42	12shortfall in the Health Safety Net Trust fund as estimated by the health safety net office no later
43	43	13than 60 days after the fund fiscal year end.
44	44	14 SECTION 3. Subsection (b) of Section 66 of Chapter 118E of the general laws, as so
45	45	15appearing, is here by amended by striking the first sentence in its entirety and inserting in place
46	46	16thereof the following:
47	47	17 The fund shall consist of: (i) all amounts paid by acute hospitals and surcharge payors
48	48	18under sections 67 and 68; (ii) all appropriations for the purpose of payments to acute hospitals or
49	49	19community health centers for health services provided to uninsured and underinsured residents;
50	50	20(iii) any transfers from the Commonwealth Care Trust Fund, established under section 2OOO of
51	51	21chapter 29; (iv) all property and securities acquired by and through the use of monies belonging
52	52	22to the fund and all interest thereon; and (v) an amount equal to any federal financial participation
53	53	23revenues claimed and received by the commonwealth for eligible expenditures made from the
54	54	24fund.
55	55	25 SECTION 4. Subsection (a) Section 68 of Chapter 118E of the general laws, as so
56	56	26appearing, shall be amended by inserting the following new words immediately following the
57	57	27phrase “total surcharge amount” in the three places that it so appears in this subsection:
58	58	28 “and the supplemental surcharge amount” 3 of 3
59	59	29 SECTION 5. Section 69 of Chapter 118E of the general laws, as so appearing, shall be
60	60	30amended by striking subsection b in its entirety and inserting in place thereof the following:
61	61	31 (b) By April 1 of the year preceding the start of the fund fiscal year, the office shall, after
62	62	32consultation with the office of Medicaid, and using the best data available, provide an estimate of
63	63	33the projected total reimbursable health services provided by acute hospitals and community
64	64	34health centers and emergency bad debt costs, the total funding available and any projected
65	65	35shortfall after adjusting for reimbursement payments to community health centers. If a shortfall
66	66	36in revenue exists in any fund fiscal year to cover projected costs for reimbursement of health
67	67	37services, the office shall allocate half of that shortfall in a manner that reflects each hospital's
68	68	38proportional financial requirement for reimbursements from the fund, including, but not limited
69	69	39to, the establishment of a graduated reimbursement system and under any additional regulations
70	70	40promulgated by the office. The remaining half of the shortfall shall be accounted for through a
71	71	41supplemental surcharge amount that is paid in accordance with section 64 and 68.