Section 86 Hospital Assessment 19
Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the secretary of health and human services shall seek any and all required federal approvals the secretary deems necessary to implement sections 17, 19, 21, 50, 54, 56, 58, 72, 73, 74 and 94 including any required waivers under 42 CFR § 433.68 necessary to implement the updates to the hospital assessment described in section 67 of chapter 118E of the general laws, as amended by section 56.
If, after having received any required federal approval necessary to implement sections 17, 19, 21, 50, 54, 56, 58, 72, 73, 74 and 94, such approval is withdrawn or is otherwise not in effect, or the secretary determines that a change in federal law, regulations, or the federal government's administration of federal law or regulation, requires a modification to the hospital assessment described in section 67 of chapter 118E of the general laws, as amended by 56, or to the implementation of the Health Safety Net Trust Fund established under section 66 of chapter 118E, as amended by sections 53 and 54, the Non-Acute Care Hospital Reimbursement Trust Fund established under section 2WWWW of chapter 29, as amended by section 17, the Safety Net Provider Trust Fund established under Section 2AAAAA of chapter 29, as amended by section 19, the Hospital Investment and Performance Trust Fund established under section 21, or the Population Health Investment Trust Fund established under section 21, the secretary will notify the joint committee on health care financing, and the house and senate committees on ways and means, and will consult with the Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association to develop alternatives.
Starting no later than December 15, 2023, and annually thereafter, the secretary shall report to the joint committee on health care financing and the house and senate committees on ways and means (i) the amount of the assessment made and collected from each hospital pursuant to section 56 and (ii) the amounts transferred to, deposited in, expended from, and transferred from the Hospital Investment and Performance Trust Fund established under section 21, and the Population Health Investment Trust Fund established under section 21.
Summary
This section, along with twenty others, implements an increased and restructured hospital assessment that divides hospitals into five groups, assigning two different rates for each group (inpatient and outpatient), for a five-year term.