QUALITY ASSURANCE; AMBULANCES                                                    H.B. 4830 (H-3):

                                                                              SUMMARY OF HOUSE-PASSED BILL

                                                                                                         IN COMMITTEE

House Bill 4830 (Substitute H-3 as passed by the House)

Sponsor:  Representative Andrea K. Schroeder

House Committee:  Appropriations

Senate Committee:  Health Policy and Human Services

Date Completed:  1-14-20

CONTENT

The bill would amend the Public Health Code to require the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), beginning November 1, 2020, and by November 1 each year thereafter to send a notification to each ambulance operation that would be assessed the quality assurance assessment during the year in which the notification was sent.

Under the Code, the DHHS must assess fees and other assessments for health facility and agency licenses and certificates of need on an annual basis. The Code allows the DHHS to establish a quality assurance assessment to increase ambulance reimbursement as follows:

-- The quality assurance assessment must be used to provide reimbursement to Medicaid ambulance providers.

-- The Department must implement the assessment in a manner that complies with federal requirements necessary to ensure that the quality assurance assessment qualifies for Federal matching funds.

-- The total annual collections by the DHHS may not exceed $20.0 million.

-- The assessment must not be collected after October 1, 2023, and must no longer be collected or assessed if it is not eligible for Federal matching funds.

In addition, under the bill, beginning November 1, 2020, and by November 1 of each year thereafter, the DHHS would have to send a notification to each ambulance operation that would be assessed the quality assurance assessment during the year in which the notification was sent.

MCL 333.20161                                                       Legislative Analyst:  Tyler VanHuyse

FISCAL IMPACT

The bill would have a minor negative fiscal impact on the Department of Health and Human Services resulting from an increase in administrative costs and no fiscal impact on local units of government.

                                                                                   Fiscal Analyst:  Ellyn Ackerman

This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.