This bill amends existing Kansas law regarding hospital provider assessments, specifically increasing the annual assessment rate on inpatient and outpatient revenue from a range of 1.83% to 3% to a new maximum of 6%. The bill also expands exemptions for certain hospital providers, including state agencies, educational institutions, critical access hospitals, and rural emergency hospitals with revenues below a specified threshold. Additionally, it modifies the payment schedule for assessments, changing the due dates from June 30 and December 31 to May 30 and November 30, respectively.

The bill repeals previous sections of law related to hospital assessments, including K.S.A. 65-6210 and K.S.A. 2024 Supp. 65-6208 and 65-6209, and introduces new provisions for the assessment process, including penalties for late payments and the establishment of delayed payment schedules for financially struggling hospitals. The effective date for the new payment methodology will be determined by the approval from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Statutes affected:
As introduced: 65-6210, 65-6208, 65-6209