The bill amends the hospital licensing fee structure in Rhode Island for state fiscal years 2023, 2024, and 2025. It removes the previous fee of 5.656% of net patient-services revenue for fiscal year 2022 and sets a new fee of 5.42% for 2023, with a 37% discount for Washington County hospitals, subject to federal approval. For 2024 and 2025, it introduces a tiered structure with different rates for three tiers of hospitals, and a 5.25% fee for state-government owned and operated hospitals. The bill also revises the definitions of various terms related to hospitals and nursing facilities, modifies the rate-setting methodology for nursing facilities, and mandates that a portion of any rate increase be dedicated to increasing compensation for direct-care workers, with specific compliance requirements and penalties for non-compliance.

Furthermore, the bill updates the definitions and base year for calculating disproportionate share payments to hospitals for uncompensated care, extending the uncompensated-care index to 5.30% for the payment year ending September 30, 2025. It includes changes to the calculation of uncompensated-care costs, the distribution of Pool D allotment, and the collection of patient-level uninsured information. The bill also proposes amendments to cover services at certified community behavioral health clinics, with a possible delay in implementation, and changes the deadline for establishing the clinic model. It addresses Medicaid reimbursement for dental procedures in ambulatory centers and includes various provisions for federal funding, technical corrections, and rate adjustments. The bill is effective upon passage, with certain sections becoming effective on specific dates.

Statutes affected:
8210: 23-17-38.1, 40-8-19