Amendment #951 to H3600

Health Care Assessment Reform & Community Hospital Reinvestment Trust Fund

Representatives Barber of Somerville, Benson of Lunenburg, Cabral of New Bedford, Cahill of Lynn, Chan of Quincy, Collins of Boston, Connolly of Cambridge, Donahue of Worcester, Ehrlich of Marblehead, Galvin of Canton, Garlick of Needham, Hecht of Watertown, Keefe of Worcester, Khan of Newton, Livingstone of Boston, Provost of Somerville, Rogers of Cambridge and Smizik of Brookline move to amend the bill by adding the following section:

SECTION XXXX. EQUITABLE & APPROPRIATE HEALTH CARE ASSESSMENTS

SECTION 1.  Amends M.G.L. ch.6D §18 to direct the Health Policy Commission, in consultation with the Center for Health Information & Analysis, to amend the regulations governing payment by acute hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers or surcharge payors for three existing health care assessments:

1)Assessment for estimated expenses of the commission (958 CMR 9.00)

2)Assessment for estimated expenses of CHIA (957 CMR 3.00).

3)Assessment for the Health Safety Net Trust Fund (101 CMR 614.00); further, the HPC is directed to increase the total HSNTF assessment by $20 million.

The HPC is further directed to ensure that these regulatory changes ensure that certain large health care market participants in the Commonwealth pay an equitable and appropriate share of these three assessments. Such large health care market participants shall include entities currently doing health care business in the Commonwealth and that contribute to a significant share of the Commonwealth’s total health care expenditures, including:

•Business entities researching, selling and/or manufacturing pharmaceutical drugs;

•Large and independent 501(c)(3) non-profit physician organizations;

•Urgent care/limited services clinics, and

•Other appropriate entities as determined by the commission.

Providers of primarily post-acute and/or long term supports and services are explicitly excluded.

SECTION 2.  Amends M.G.L. ch.118E §66 to transfer $20 million annually from the Health Safety Net Trust Fund to the Community Hospital Reinvestment Trust Fund.

SECTIONS 3 & 4.  Amends M.G.L. ch.29 §2TTTT to adjust the standards governing eligibility for hospitals to receive payments from the Community Hospital Revitalization Trust Fund.  Currently all hospitals with relative prices below 120% of the statewide median price are eligible.  The amendment would increase that standard to those below 100% of the median but also add back eligibility for all hospitals that are defined as “High Public Payer” (AKA “Disproportionate Share Hospitals”).

Additional co-sponsor(s) added to Amendment #951 to H3600

Health Care Assessment Reform & Community Hospital Reinvestment Trust Fund