(a) In consultation with the hospital community, as defined in Section 14169.51, the department shall develop proposed modifications to the quality assurance fee program under Article 5.230 (commencing with Section 14169.50) to collect additional fees solely designated for use under this section. In addition, the department shall consult with the hospital community to enable intergovernmental transfers from nondesignated public hospitals solely designated for use under this section. The department shall notify the Joint Legislative Budget Committee and fiscal and appropriate policy committees 30 working days prior to implementing a modification pursuant to this section.
(b) To the extent federal financial participation is not jeopardized and consistent with federal law, and subject to the conditions set forth in subdivision (c), the department shall pay Medi-Cal managed care plans rate range increases, as defined by paragraph (4) of subdivision (b) of Section 14301.4, for the purpose of increasing payments to private hospitals and nondesignated public hospitals in counties that do not have designated public hospitals. Nondesignated public hospitals shall be given priority relative to accessing rate range funds in counties where a nondesignated public hospital is the only public hospital.
(c) Payments to Medi-Cal managed care plans pursuant to subdivision (b) are conditioned on both of the following:
(A) The Medi-Cal managed care plan shall pay all of the rate range increases provided under this section as additional payments to private hospitals and nondesignated public hospitals for providing and making available services to Medi-Cal enrollees of the plan.
(B) The amount of the increases to Medi-Cal managed care plans shall be limited to the total amount of payments possible, including federal financial participation, based on the amount of fees actually collected and intergovernmental transfers actually provided pursuant to subdivision (a) as the nonfederal share for these payments.
(Added by Stats. 2013, Ch. 657, Sec. 7. (SB 239) Effective October 8, 2013. Note: See Section 3.5 of Article XVI of the Constitution, which was added on Nov. 8, 2016, by initiative Proposition 52.)