An Act To Support Small, Local and Efficient Hospitals

Sec. 1. 22 MRSA §3174-LL  is enacted to read:

§ 3174-LL.  Hospital reimbursement under the MaineCare program

The Department of Health and Human Services, when reimbursing hospitals for services provided to MaineCare members for hospital fiscal years 2004 to 2006, shall use a formula that gives first preference to smaller hospitals, sole community providers and hospitals with lower than average operating revenues and higher than average percentages of MaineCare member patients. The department shall adopt rules to implement this section. Rules adopted pursuant to this section are routine technical rules as defined by Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.

summary

This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to use a formula that gives first preference to smaller hospitals, sole community providers and hospitals with lower than average operating revenues and higher than average percentages of MaineCare member patients when reimbursing for past MaineCare services for hospital fiscal years 2004 to 2006. The department shall adopt routine technical rules to implement this formula.