This bill amends section 68-2106 of the Hospital Quality Assurance and Access Assessment Act in Nebraska, focusing on the use of the Hospital Quality Assurance and Access Assessment Fund. The fund is established to enhance rates paid to hospitals under the medical assistance program, with specific provisions that prohibit the use of these funds to replace existing state funds. The bill outlines various uses for the fund, including reimbursement to the General Fund, administrative fees for the department, support for nursing training sites, and funding for nonhospital providers in the medical assistance program. Notably, the bill adds a provision to provide funding for continuous eligibility for children and the designated health information exchange.

Additionally, the bill includes regulations to prevent Medicaid managed care organizations and hospitals from negotiating reimbursement rates in a way that considers directed payments received under the Act. It establishes penalties for hospitals that violate these provisions, including the loss of directed payments for the remainder of the rate year. The original section of the law is repealed, indicating a significant update to the existing framework governing hospital funding and reimbursement in Nebraska.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 68-2106