BILL NUMBER: AB 303 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 16, 2009
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 13, 2009
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Beall
FEBRUARY 17, 2009
An act to add Section 14085.57 to the Welfare and Institutions
Code, relating to Medi-Cal.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 303, as amended, Beall. Medi-Cal: designated public hospitals:
seismic safety requirements.
Existing law provides for the Medi-Cal program, which is
administered by the State Department of Health Care Services and
under which qualified low-income persons receive health care
benefits, including hospital services. The Medi-Cal program is, in
part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid provisions. Existing
law authorizes the California Medical Assistance Commission to
negotiate selective provider contracts with eligible hospitals to
provide inpatient hospital services to Medi-Cal beneficiaries.
Existing law generally defines a disproportionate share hospital
as a hospital that has disproportionately higher costs, volume, or
services related to the provision of services to Medi-Cal or other
low-income patients than the statewide average. Under existing law,
an eligible disproportionate share hospital may receive supplemental
Medi-Cal reimbursement for debt service on revenue bonds used for
financing eligible capital projects. Under existing law, eligible
projects include new capital projects funded by new debt for which
final plans have been submitted to the Office of the State Architect
(OSA) and the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development
(OSHPD) after September 1, 1988, and prior to June 30, 1994, except
as specified.
This bill would, to the extent federal financial participation is
available, extend similar supplemental reimbursement provisions to
capital projects of designated public hospitals, as defined, meeting
prescribed requirements for which final plans have been submitted to
OSHPD after January 1, 2007, and prior to December 31, 2011, provided
those projects are related to meeting seismic safety deadlines. The
bill would provide that eligible projects that may receive
supplemental reimbursement pursuant to the above provisions are
limited to projects relating to meeting seismic safety deadlines.
The bill would require a hospital qualifying for the supplemental
reimbursement to submit documentation to the department regarding
debt service on general obligation bonds or revenue bonds used for
financing the construction, renovation, or replacement of
public hospital facilities.
The bill would prohibit the expenditure from the General Fund for
the nonfederal share of the supplemental reimbursement
without an express appropriation for that purpose . The
bill would, to the extent that insufficient state funds are
appropriated for the nonfederal share of the supplemental
reimbursement, require the department to claim federal expenditures
through other funding mechanisms, including the use of certified
public expenditures or intergovernmental transfers, as necessary and
appropriate.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Section 14085.57 is added to the Welfare and
Institutions Code, to read:
14085.57. (a) A designated public hospital, as defined in
subdivision (d) of Section 14166.1 that is contracting to provide
services under this article, and that has or would have satisfied the
criteria set forth in Section 14105.98 for the three most recent
years prior to submitting final plans for an eligible project in
accordance with paragraph (3) of subdivision (b), may receive
supplemental reimbursement to the extent provided for in Section
14085.5, subject to subdivision (c), in addition to the rate of
payment provided for in the contract entered into under this article.
(b) (1) A hospital qualifying pursuant to subdivision (a) that
elects to receive reimbursement under this section shall submit
documentation to the department regarding debt service on general
obligation bonds or revenue bonds used for financing the
construction, renovation, or replacement of public
hospital facilities, including buildings and fixed equipment.
(2) A hospital qualifying pursuant to subdivision (a) shall remain
open for the life of the supplemental reimbursements provided for
pursuant to this section.
(3) (A) Eligible projects shall include those new capital projects
funded by new debt for which final plans have been submitted to the
Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development after January 1,
2007, and prior to December 31, 2011.
(B) Eligible projects that may receive supplemental reimbursement
pursuant to subdivision (a) are limited to projects related to
meeting seismic safety deadlines.
(c) No expenditure from the General Fund shall be made for the
nonfederal share of the supplemental reimbursement provided for in
this section without an express appropriation for that
purpose . To the extent that insufficient state funds are
appropriated for the nonfederal share of the supplemental
reimbursement provided for in this section, the department shall
claim federal expenditures through other funding mechanisms,
including the use of certified public expenditures or
intergovernmental transfers, as necessary and appropriate.
(d) The department shall promptly seek any necessary, and all
available, federal approvals for the implementation of this section.
This section shall be implemented only to the extent that federal
approval and federal financial participation is available.