(a) The Director shall establish by rule procedures for determining payment rates for care of State-assisted persons to nursing homes and to such other providers as the Secretary shall direct. The Secretary shall have the authority to establish rates that the Secretary deems sufficient to ensure that the quality standards prescribed by section 7117 of this title are maintained, subject to the provisions of section 906 of this title. Beginning in State fiscal year 2003, the Medicaid budget for care of State-assisted persons in nursing homes shall employ an annual inflation factor which is reasonable and which adequately reflects economic conditions, in accordance with the provisions of Section 5.8 of the regulations promulgated by the Division of Rate Setting ("Methods, Standards, and Principles for Establishing Medicaid Payment Rates for Long-Term Care Facilities").

(b) No payment shall be made to any nursing home, on account of any State-assisted person, unless the nursing home is certified to participate in the State/federal medical assistance program and has in effect a provider agreement. (Added 1977, No. 204 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 1981, No. 224 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. May 4, 1982; 1989, No. 267 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. July 1, 1991; 1995, No. 160 (Adj. Sess.), § 12; 1997, No. 61, § 270a; 2001, No. 63, § 99; 2013, No. 131 (Adj. Sess.), § 19, eff. May 20, 2014.)