DISPROPORTIONATE SHARE HOSPITAL POLICY

Regulation Authority:

RIGL 48 - 8.3; Title XIX of the Social Security Act

Purpose and Reason:

Effective June 27, 2008, the Department of Human Services (DHS) will submit to the Federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) an amendment (SPA) to the State of Rhode Island's Medicaid State Plan relative to the Disproportionate Share Hospital payments to be made in or after June, 2008 to: 1.) change the base year for determining qualifying uncompensated care costs for non - government and state operated hospitals from hospital fiscal year 2004 to hospital fiscal year 2006; 2.) revise the limit on payments to state operated hospitals (Pool B); 3.) revise the limit on payments to women and infant specialty hospitals (Pool C); 4.) revise the limit on payments to non - government hospitals (Pool D); and 5.) make textual revisions in the SPA consistent with the foregoing proposed changes.

Brief statement of Reason for Finding Imminent Peril:

Immediate financial federal reimbursement to Rhode Island hospitals is required under the law for those hospitals which serve a disproportionate share of medically uninsured patients. Emergency rulemaking is necessary in order for the Department to make these payments in a timely manner. These payments to Rhode Island hospitals are necessary in order to ensure the availability of hospital services to Medical Assistance beneficiaries, to the members general public who are unable to afford it, and to protect the public health, safety or welfare of the public.