BILL NUMBER: AB 1383	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Jones

                        FEBRUARY 27, 2009

   An act relating to hospitals, and declaring the urgency thereof,
to take effect immediately.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 1383, as introduced, Jones. Hospitals: quality assurance fee.
   Existing law provides for the Medi-Cal program, administered by
the State Department of Health Care Services, under which health care
services are provided to qualified low-income persons. Existing law
prescribes procedures for Medi-Cal reimbursement at these facilities.
Existing law requires that, as a condition of Medi-Cal program
participation, and subject to federal approval, there be imposed a
quality assurance fee on skilled nursing facilities, with the moneys
collected from these fees to be used for specified purposes under the
Medi-Cal program to support quality improvement of long-term care,
as prescribed.
   This bill would declare the intent of the Legislature to enact
legislation that would impose a fee on hospitals in order to increase
federal financial participation in order to increase Medi-Cal
payments to hospitals.
   This bill would also require the department to maximize federal
funding in Med-Cal payments to hospitals.
   This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as
an urgency statute.
   Vote: 2/3. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  It is the intent of the Legislature to enact
legislation that would impose a fee to be paid by hospitals that
shall be used to increase federal financial participation in order to
increase Medi-Cal payments to hospitals.
  SEC. 2.  The State Department of Health Care Services shall seek to
maximize federal funding in Medi-Cal, including funding for hospital
reimbursement.
  SEC. 3.  This act is an urgency statute necessary for the immediate
preservation of the public peace, health, or safety within the
meaning of Article IV of the Constitution and shall go into immediate
effect. The facts constituting the necessity are:
   In order to make the necessary statutory changes to increase
Medi-Cal payments to hospitals and improve access' at the earliest
possible time, so as to allow this act to be operative as soon as
approval from the United States Center for Medicare and Medicaid
Services is obtained by the State Department of Health Care Services,
it is necessary that this act take effect immediately.