1. A. Definitions

   1. Net Uncompensated Cost—the cost of furnishing inpatient and outpatient hospital services, net of Medicare costs, Medicaid payments (excluding disproportionate share payments), costs associated with patients who have insurance for services provided, private payer payments, and all other inpatient and outpatient payments received from patients.
   2. Public State-Operated Hospital—a hospital that is owned or operated by the state of Louisiana.
2. B. DSH payments to individual public state-owned or operated hospitals shall be up to 100 percent of the hospital's net uncompensated costs. Final payment shall be made in accordance with final uncompensated care costs as calculated per the CMS mandated audit for the state fiscal year.

3. C. In the event that it is necessary to reduce the amount of disproportionate share payments to remain within the federal disproportionate share allotment, the department shall calculate a pro rata decrease for each public state-owned or operated hospital based on the ratio determined by:

   1. 1. dividing that hospital's uncompensated cost by the total uncompensated cost for all qualifying public state-owned or operated hospitals during the state fiscal year; then
   2. 2. multiplying by the amount of disproportionate share payments calculated in excess of the federal disproportionate allotment.

4. D. It is mandatory that hospitals seek all third party payments including Medicare, Medicaid and other third party carriers and payments from patients. Hospitals must certify that excluded from net uncompensated cost are any costs for the care of persons eligible for Medicaid at the time of registration. Acute hospitals must maintain a log documenting the provision of uninsured care as directed by the department. Hospitals must adjust uninsured charges to reflect retroactive Medicaid eligibility determination. Patient specific data is required after July 1, 2003. Hospitals shall annually submit:

   1. 1. an attestation that patients whose care is included in the hospitals' net uncompensated cost are not Medicaid eligible at the time of registration; and

   2. 2. supporting patient-specific demographic data that does not identify individuals, but is sufficient for audit of the hospitals' compliance with the Medicaid ineligibility requirement as required by the department, including:

      1. a. patient age;
      2. b. family size;
      3. c. number of dependent children; and
      4. d. household income.

Authority Note

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 36:254 and Title XIX of the Social Security Act.

Historical Note

HISTORICAL NOTE: Promulgated by the Department of Health and Hospitals, Office of the Secretary, Bureau of Health Services Financing, LR 34:658 (April 2008), amended by the Department of Health and Hospitals, Bureau of Health Services Financing, LR 40:790 (April 2014).