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November 21, 2024 Clouds | 46°F
The 193rd General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Section 2AAAAA: Safety Net Provider Trust Fund

Section 2AAAAA. There shall be a Safety Net Provider Trust Fund. The fund shall be administered by the secretary of health and human services. Payments from the fund shall be: (i) subject to the availability of federal financial participation; (ii) made under federally-approved payment methods; (iii) consistent with federal funding requirements and federal payment limits; and (iv) subject to the terms and conditions of an agreement between the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the executive office of health and human services.

[Second paragraph effective until October 1, 2027. See 2022, 126, Sec. 185. For text effective October 1, 2027, see below.]

There shall be credited to the fund: (i) any transfers from the Health Safety Net Trust Fund established in section 66 of chapter 118E; (ii) any revenue from appropriations or other money authorized by the general court and specifically designated to be credited to the fund; (iii) an amount equal to any federal financial participation revenues claimed and received by the commonwealth for eligible expenditures made from the fund; and (iv) interest earned on any money in the fund. Money from the fund shall be expended for payments to providers that qualify under an approved federal waiver and in accordance with said waiver. Amounts credited to the fund shall not be subject to further appropriation. At the end of each fiscal year, the secretary of health and human services shall determine, in the secretary's sole discretion, the amount of any money in the fund that is in excess of the money needed to make payments from the fund in accordance with said waiver; provided, however, that the money needed to make such payments shall include any money needed to make any payments that are unearned as of the end of such year, but potentially earned in a subsequent year. Subject to the terms of said waiver, the secretary of health and human services shall transfer to the Health Safety Net Trust Fund established in said section 66 of said chapter 118E the state share of any such excess money, multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is $62,500,000 and the denominator of which is the total amount transferred to or deposited in the fund for such fund year, excluding any federal funds. Money remaining in the fund at the end of a fiscal year shall not revert to the General Fund and shall be available for expenditure in subsequent fiscal years. To accommodate timing discrepancies between the receipt of revenue and related expenditures, the comptroller may certify for payment amounts not to exceed the most recent revenue estimates as certified by the secretary of health and human services to be transferred, credited or deposited under this section.

[Second paragraph as amended by 2022, 126, Sec. 20 effective October 1, 2027 applicable as provided by 2022, 126, Sec. 186. For text effective until October 1, 2027, see above.]

There shall be credited to the fund: (i) any transfers from the Health Safety Net Trust Fund established in section 66 of chapter 118E; (ii) any revenue from appropriations or other money authorized by the general court and specifically designated to be credited to the fund; (iii) an amount equal to any federal financial participation revenues claimed and received by the commonwealth for eligible expenditures made from the fund; and (iv) interest earned on any money in the fund. Money from the fund shall be expended for payments to providers that qualify under an approved federal waiver and in accordance with said waiver. Amounts credited to the fund shall not be subject to further appropriation. &;Money remaining in the fund at the end of a fiscal year shall not revert to the General Fund and shall be available for expenditure in subsequent fiscal years. To accommodate timing discrepancies between the receipt of revenue and related expenditures, the comptroller may certify for payment amounts not to exceed the most recent revenue estimates as certified by the secretary of health and human services to be transferred, credited or deposited under this section.

Annually, not later than December 1, the secretary of health and human services shall report to the clerks of the senate and house of representatives and chairs of the senate and house committees on ways and means: (i) an accounting of money received by the fund and the sources of that money; (ii) an accounting of payments made to providers broken down by amounts paid per provider and the authorization for the payments; (iii) the amount of any unexpended balance; and (iv) projected revenue and spending amounts for the coming fiscal year.