Essential Community Provider Trust Fund
SECTION 60.
Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the comptroller, in consultation with the secretary of health and human services, shall develop a schedule for transferring not less than $28,000,000 from the General Fund to the Essential Community Provider Trust Fund, established in section 2PPP of chapter 29 of the General Laws for the purpose of making payments to hospitals and community health centers in fiscal year 2008. The secretary shall authorize expenditures from the fund without further appropriation for the purpose of a grant program to improve and enhance the ability of hospitals and community health centers to serve populations in need, more efficiently and effectively, including, but not limited to, the ability to provide community-based care, clinical support, care coordination services, disease management services, primary care services and pharmacy management services through a grant program. The office shall consider applications from acute hospitals, non-acute hospitals, and community health centers in awarding the grants; provided, however, that the office shall publicize the existence of the grant program to eligible providers and shall award grants on or before September 1, 2007. The criteria for selection shall include, but not be limited to, the following: (i) financial performance measures including negative operating margins, insufficient cash flow, technical bond default and the uncertain ability to cover long-term obligations, as well as potential for loss of critical community services; (ii) the percentage of patients with mental or substance abuse disorders served by a provider; (iii) the numbers of patients served by a provider who are chronically ill, elderly, or disabled, provided that in the case of a community health center, that preference be given to the provision of a program of all-inclusive care for the elderly; (iv) the payer mix of the provider, with preference given to acute hospitals where a minimum of 63 per cent of the acute hospital's gross patient service revenue is attributable to Title XVIII and Title XIX of the federal Social Security Act or other governmental payors, including reimbursements from the Health Safety Net Trust Fund; (v) the percentage of total annual operating revenue that received funding in fiscal years 2005 and 2006 from the Distressed Provider Expendable Trust Fund comprised for the provider; (vi) the percentage of total annual operating revenue that received funding in fiscal year 2007 from the Essential Community Provided Trust Fund, established in section 36 of chapter 118G of the General Laws; (vii) the cultural and linguistic challenges presented by the populations served by the provider; (viii) a documented critical need for investment in information technology such as computerized physician order entry systems but without access to capital to finance such investments; and (ix) the provision by a community health center of 24 hour emergency services. The secretary may further authorize distributions on an emergency basis to acute hospitals, non-acute hospitals and community health centers facing extreme financial distress or closure upon petition from the provider. The emergency funds shall be distributed by the secretary within 14 days of petition by a provider that is determined to be facing extreme financial distress or closure at an amount determined by the secretary.