PLEASE NOTE: Legislative Information cannot perform research, provide legal advice, or interpret Maine law. For legal assistance, please contact a qualified attorney.
Amend the amendment by striking out all of section 1 and inserting the following:
‘Sec. 1.  22 MRSA §3174-AAA  is enacted to read:
§ 3174-AAA. Reimbursement for days awaiting placement; reimbursement for hospitals other than critical access hospitals
Beginning January 1, 2019, the department shall provide reimbursement to hospitals other than critical access hospitals for each day after the 10th day that a MaineCare-eligible individual is in the care of a hospital while awaiting placement in a nursing facility. The department shall reimburse hospitals prospectively at the statewide average rate per MaineCare member day for nursing facility services. The department shall compute the statewide average rate per MaineCare member day based on the simple average of the nursing facility rate per MaineCare member day for the applicable state fiscal year or years prorated for the hospital's fiscal year. Reimbursement for days awaiting placement pursuant to this section is limited to a maximum of $500,000 of combined General Fund funds and federal funds for each year. For purposes of this section, "critical access hospital" has the same meaning as in section 7932, subsection 10.
This section is repealed December 31, 2023.’
Amend the amendment by inserting after section 1 the following:
‘
Amend the bill in section 2 in the 4th line by striking out the following: "3174-ZZ" and inserting the following: '3174-AAA'
’
Amend the amendment by striking out all of section 3 and inserting the following:
‘Sec. 3. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and allocations are made.
 
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF
 
Medical Care - Payments to Providers 0147
 
Initiative: Provides funds to provide reimbursement to hospitals other than critical access hospitals for each day after the 10th day that a MaineCare-eligible individual is in the care of a hospital while awaiting placement in a nursing facility.

GENERAL FUND	2017-18	2018-19	
All Other	$0	$17,690	
			
GENERAL FUND TOTAL	$0	$17,690	

FEDERAL EXPENDITURES FUND	2017-18	2018-19	
All Other	$0	$31,932	
			
FEDERAL EXPENDITURES FUND TOTAL	$0	$31,932	
 
’
 
SUMMARY
This amendment delays, from January 1, 2018 to January 1, 2019, the date by which the Department of Health and Human Services must begin reimbursing a hospital for the days a MaineCare-eligible individual is in the care of the hospital while awaiting placement in a nursing facility. It also removes the amounts appropriated and allocated in fiscal year 2017-18 and revises the amounts appropriated and allocated in fiscal year 2018-19. It also makes a technical change to a section number.
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED
(See attached)