1. (a) The base years used to establish rates in future rate years for a rural health clinic or federally qualified health center will be changed periodically to more current years, and re-basing may be subject to audit. The first cost-based rate is not a re-basing. The department may determine the timing for a re-basing under this section and whether and when to conduct an audit. The department

   1. (1) will perform a re-basing no less than every four years;
   2. (2) may perform a re-basing sooner than every four years;
   3. (3) will not implement re-basing for state fiscal year 2018; and
   4. (4) will not apply (3) of this subsection to facilities that are currently under a state-weighted average and that are scheduled to have their first cost-based rate established in state fiscal year 2018.

2. (b) The new base year rate will be calculated

   1. (1) using the Medicare cost reports for the two health clinic fiscal years ending no less than 12 months before the year in which re-basing occurs; and
   2. (2) in accordance with 7 AAC 145.710.
3. (c) This section does not apply to a federally qualified health center that elects to be reimbursed under 7 AAC 155.010(1).

(Eff. 2/1/2010, Register 193; am 10/1/2017, Register 223; am 11/1/2021, Register 240)

Authority: AS 47.05.010, AS 47.07.070, AS 47.07.073, AS 47.07.074