Massachusetts 2023-2024 Regular Session

Massachusetts Senate Bill S811 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1 of 1
2	2	SENATE DOCKET, NO. 224 FILED ON: 1/12/2023
3	3	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 811
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	John C. Velis
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 :John C. VelisHampden and Hampshire 1 of 3
16	16	SENATE DOCKET, NO. 224 FILED ON: 1/12/2023
17	17	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 811
18	18	By Mr. Velis, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 811) of John C. Velis for legislation
19	19	to address the financial sustainability of the Health Safety Net. Health Care Financing.
20	20	[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
21	21	SEE SENATE, NO. 819 OF 2021-2022.]
22	22	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
23	23	_______________
24	24	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
25	25	(2023-2024)
26	26	_______________
27	27	An Act to address the financial sustainability of the Health Safety Net.
28	28	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
29	29	of the same, as follows:
30	30	1 SECTION 1. Section 2OOO of Chapter 29 of the general laws is hereby amended by
31	31	2striking the third sentence in the second paragraph in its entirety and inserting in place thereof
32	32	3the following:-
33	33	4 Money from the fund shall be transferred to the Health Safety Net Trust Fund, or any
34	34	5successor fund, as necessary to provide payments to acute hospitals and community health
35	35	6centers for reimbursable health services. No less than the amounts in subsection (b) of section
36	36	7189 of chapter 149 of the general laws shall be annually transferred to the Health Safety Net
37	37	8Trust Fund.
38	38	9 SECTION 2. Section 64 of Chapter 118E of the general laws is hereby amended by
39	39	10inserting after the definition of “Resident” the following new definition:- 2 of 3
40	40	11 "Supplemental surcharge amount'', an amount equal to 50 per cent of the annual revenue
41	41	12shortfall in the Health Safety Net Trust fund as estimated by the health safety net office no later
42	42	13than 60 days after the fund fiscal year end.
43	43	14 SECTION 3. Section 66 of Chapter 118E of the general laws is hereby amended in
44	44	15subsection (b) by striking the first sentence in its entirety and inserting in place thereof the
45	45	16following:-
46	46	17 The fund shall consist of: (i) all amounts paid by acute hospitals and surcharge payors
47	47	18under sections 67 and 68; (ii) all appropriations for the purpose of payments to acute hospitals or
48	48	19community health centers for health services provided to uninsured and underinsured residents;
49	49	20(iii) any transfers from the Commonwealth Care Trust Fund, established under section 2OOO of
50	50	21chapter 29; (iv) all property and securities acquired by and through the use of monies belonging
51	51	22to the fund and all interest thereon; and (v) an amount equal to any federal financial participation
52	52	23revenues claimed and received by the commonwealth for eligible expenditures made from the
53	53	24fund.
54	54	25 SECTION 4. Section 68 of Chapter 118E of the general laws is hereby amended in
55	55	26subsection (a) by inserting in the fourth sentence following the words “total surcharge amount”
56	56	27the following:-
57	57	28 “and the supplemental surcharge amount”,
58	58	29 and by inserting in the fifth sentence following the words “total surcharge amount” each
59	59	30time it appears the following:-
60	60	31 “and the supplemental surcharge amount” 3 of 3
61	61	32 SECTION 5. Section 69 of Chapter 118E of the general laws is hereby amended by
62	62	33striking subsection (b) in its entirety and inserting in place thereof the following:-
63	63	34 (b) By April 1 of the year preceding the start of the fund fiscal year, the office shall, after
64	64	35consultation with the office of Medicaid, and using the best data available, provide an estimate of
65	65	36the projected total reimbursable health services provided by acute hospitals and community
66	66	37health centers and emergency bad debt costs, the total funding available and any projected
67	67	38shortfall after adjusting for reimbursement payments to community health centers. If a shortfall
68	68	39in revenue exists in any fund fiscal year to cover projected costs for reimbursement of health
69	69	40services, the office shall allocate half of that shortfall in a manner that reflects each hospital's
70	70	41proportional financial requirement for reimbursements from the fund, including, but not limited
71	71	42to, the establishment of a graduated reimbursement system and under any additional regulations
72	72	43promulgated by the office. The remaining half of the shortfall shall be accounted for through a
73	73	44supplemental surcharge amount that is paid in accordance with section 64 and 68.