Bill > S05954

This bill amends the Public Health Law to make changes to the general hospital indigent care pool and provide additional funding for safety net and enhanced safety net hospitals. Specifically, it extends the annual distribution of Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) payments to major public general hospitals and eligible general hospitals, other than major public general hospitals, through 2021 and each year thereafter. It also increases the annual reduction to the total DSH payments to non-public general hospitals, other than enhanced safety net hospitals, from $150 million to $275 million. The bill also creates a new subdivision in the Public Health Law to require the Commissioner to make adjustments to Medicaid rates for enhanced safety net hospitals and qualified safety net hospitals to support their critically needed health care services and ensure their continued operation. It provides additional funding of $34.125 million for enhanced safety net hospitals that are major public general hospitals, $228.375 million for qualified safety net hospitals and enhanced safety net hospitals other than major public general hospitals, and $12.5 million for certain eligible hospitals. Additionally, the bill amends the Public Health Law and Chapter 474 of the Laws of 1996 to authorize the Department of Health to make additional payments to certain public general hospitals for inpatient hospital services.