Bill Text: NH SB369 | 2014 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Relative to the Medicaid enhancement tax.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)
Status: (Passed) 2014-07-01 - II. Remainder Effective 06/30/14 [SB369 Detail]
Download: New_Hampshire-2014-SB369-Amended.html
SB 369-FN-A – AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE
03/13/14 0862s
03/13/14 0960s
03/27/14 1075s
14May2014… 1803h
2014 SESSION
10/01
SENATE BILL 369-FN-A
AN ACT relative to the Medicaid enhancement tax.
SPONSORS: Sen. Odell, Dist 8; Rep. Major, Rock 14
This bill revises services taxable under the Medicaid enhancement tax and clarifies that the Medicaid enhancement tax is a health care-related tax. The bill inserts certain contingency provisions, including a provision changing the rate of the tax, which will take effect if the original revisions made by the bill are found unconstitutional. The bill also changes payment of the tax to 4 times per year.
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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
03/13/14 0862s
03/13/14 0960s
03/27/14 1075s
14May2014… 1803h
14-2699
10/01
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Fourteen
AN ACT relative to the Medicaid enhancement tax.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 New Paragraph: Medicaid Enhancement Tax; Definition; Inpatient Hospital Services. Amend RSA 84-A:1 by inserting after paragraph III the following new paragraph:
III-a. “Inpatient hospital services” means those services that are classified as inpatient hospital services for purposes of section 1903(w) of the Social Security Act, and are defined in 42 C.F.R section 440.10, regardless of the patient receiving the service or the payor for that service.
2 New Paragraph; Medicaid Enhancement Tax; Definition; Outpatient Hospital Services. Amend RSA 84-A:1 by inserting after paragraph IV-a the following new paragraph:
IV-b. “Outpatient hospital services” means those services that are classified as outpatient hospital services for purposes of section 1903(w) of the Social Security Act, and are defined in 42 C.F.R. section 440.20, regardless of the patient receiving the service or the payor for that service.
3 Medicaid Enhancement Tax; Definition; Net Patient Services Revenue. Amend RSA 84-A:1, IV-a to read as follows:
IV-a. “Net patient services revenue” means the gross charges of the hospital for inpatient and outpatient hospital services less any deducted amounts for bad debts, charity care, and payor discounts. “Net patient services revenue” shall include revenues received from the state’s uncompensated care account and revenues received from all payers of inpatient and outpatient [patient care] hospital services.
4 Imposition of Tax. Amend RSA 84-A:2 to read as follows:
84-A:2 Imposition of Tax. A health care-related tax is imposed at a rate of 5.5 percent upon the net patient services revenue of every hospital for the hospital’s fiscal year ending during the first full calendar year preceding the taxable period.
5 Tax Due. RSA 84-A:3 is repealed and reenacted to read as follows:
84-A:3 Tax Due.
I. For the taxable period beginning July 1, 2014, and for every taxable period thereafter, each hospital shall pay 25 percent of its Medicaid enhancement tax due and payable for the taxable period no later than the fifteenth day of October, January, March, and June of the taxable period. Notwithstanding any provision of this chapter or any other law, no penalty or interest shall be imposed for failure to make payment of tax when due if such payment is made on or before the last day of the month in which such payment is due.
II. If the return required by RSA 84-A:4 shows an additional amount of tax to be due, such additional amount is due and payable at the time the return is due.
6 Returns. Amend RSA 84-A:4 to read as follows:
84-A:4 Returns. Every hospital shall on or before the [tenth] fifteenth day of [the month following the expiration of] June in the taxable period make a return to the commissioner. The commissioner shall adopt rules, pursuant to RSA 541-A, relative to the form of such return and the data which it must contain for the correct computation of net patient services revenue and the tax assessed upon such amount. All returns shall be signed by the taxpayer or by its authorized representative, subject to the pains and penalties of perjury. If such return shows an overpayment of the tax due, the commissioner shall refund or credit the overpayment to the hospital in accordance with RSA 21-J:28-a.
7 Method of Payment; Reference Corrected. Amend RSA 84-A:5, I to read as follows:
I. The payments required by RSA 84-A:3[, II-a] shall be made by electronic transfer of moneys to the state treasurer and deposited to the uncompensated care fund established by RSA 167:64.
8 New Sections; Medicaid Enhancement Taxes; Declaration of Intent; Severability. Amend RSA 84-A by inserting after section 13 the following new sections:
84-A:14 Declaration of Intent. It is the declared intent of this chapter to provide for the consistent, equitable, and rational taxation of revenue received from inpatient hospital services and outpatient hospital services, which are 2 separate and distinct classes of property and are permissible classes of health care-related services which may be taxed in accordance with federal law to ensure access to Federal Financial Participation. In addition, it is the declared intent of this chapter to enact a health care-related tax, as permitted under section 1903(w) of the Social Security Act, upon the revenue derived from inpatient and outpatient hospital services, which are distinct from other classes of health care services, are subject to a different reimbursement methodology for public payors, are subject to different licensing and certification requirements, are potentially eligible for uncompensated care payments under the disproportionate share hospital program, and which provide a necessary, rational, and demonstrated public health benefit.
84-A:15 Severability. If any provision of this chapter or the application thereof to any person or circumstances is held invalid, the invalidity does not affect other provisions or applications of the chapter which can be given effect without the invalid provisions or applications, and to this end the provisions of this chapter are severable. This severability clause shall apply to the application of this chapter to revenue from inpatient hospital services and outpatient hospital services, such that the invalidity of either shall not affect the application of the statute to the other.
9 Uncompensated Care Fund. Amend RSA 167:64 to read as follows:
167:64 Uncompensated Care Fund.
I. There is hereby established in the state treasury an uncompensated care fund which shall consist of the moneys collected pursuant to RSA 84-A. Investment earnings of the fund shall be credited to the fund. Moneys paid into the fund shall be exempt from any state budget reductions, and the commissioner is authorized to expend these funds, together with matching federal funds, as follows:
(a)(1) The commissioner may provide reimbursement for uncompensated care costs in accordance with the approved schedule of payments through either Medicaid rate adjustments or disproportionate share hospital payment adjustments, or a combination thereof, provided however that no hospital shall receive any such reimbursement for uncompensated care costs unless it is a qualified hospital as defined in subparagraph (b)(1). Funds available under this section shall also be used to make medical provider payments and to support [the state’s Medicaid enhancement tax unrestricted revenue account], public assistance programs administered by the department pursuant to this chapter in amounts directed by the budget in each year of the biennium. Expenditure of revenues deposited to the uncompensated care fund shall be made for the following purposes in the following order of priority:
(A) To support medical provider payments as budgeted in each year of the biennium;
(B) [To support the state’s Medicaid enhancement tax unrestricted revenue account as budgeted in each year of the biennium;
(C)] To make disproportionate share hospital payments to support up to 75 percent of the uncompensated care costs of New Hampshire’s hospitals with critical access designation as available funding allows, to be shared among such hospitals in proportion to the amount of uncompensated care provided;
[(D)] (C) To make a disproportionate share hospital payment to each hospital that meets the criteria set forth for “deemed disproportionate share hospitals” as that term is defined under 42 U.S.C. section 1396r-4 [in] up to an amount as budgeted in each year of the biennium based on available funding;
[(E)] (D) To support the uncompensated care costs of New Hampshire’s hospitals without critical access designation up to an amount as budgeted in each year of the biennium based on available funding in proportion to the amount of uncompensated care provided by each hospital consistent with the requirements of 42 U.S.C. section 1396r-4(g) and any relevant federal regulations promulgated thereunder; and
[(F) Any remaining funds produced from the Medicaid enhancement tax shall be used] (E) To reduce hospital losses associated with providing services to Medicaid recipients through an increase in provider reimbursement rates up to an amount as budgeted in each year of the biennium based on available funding; and
(F) Any remaining funds produced from the Medicaid enhancement tax shall be used to support public assistance programs administered by the department pursuant to this chapter.
(2) Should funds be inadequate to make a disproportionate share hospital payment to hospitals within either of the groups identified in subparagraph [(1)(C)] (1)(B) or [(1)(E)] (1)(D), an amount of $1,000,000 shall be designated to make payments in accordance with 42 U.S.C. section 1396r-4(b) and distributed as follows:
(A) Equally to each group of hospitals should both groups be impacted, and distributed among each of the hospitals within each group in proportion to the amount of uncompensated care provided; or
(B) If only hospitals in subparagraph [(1)(E)] (1)(D) are impacted, distributed to those hospitals in proportion to the amount of uncompensated care provided.
(b)(1) The commissioner is hereby authorized and directed to develop and implement a schedule of payments for reimbursement of the uncompensated care costs consistent with the level of funding made available for such payments in each year of the biennium, incurred by those hospitals that are qualified as follows:
(A) The hospital is a “deemed disproportionate share hospital” as defined by criteria set forth under 42 U.S.C. section 1396r-4 and is not otherwise receiving a disproportionate share hospital payment, or
(B) The hospital participates in the provider network of the state Medicaid Care Management program [which shall be evidenced by written proof of an agreement in principle by July 1, 2013 with a final agreement by August 1, 2013].
(2) The reimbursement of uncompensated care costs paid in state fiscal year 2014 and state fiscal year 2015 and thereafter shall be in accordance with the schedule of payments to hospitals that takes effect on or after July 1, 2013, subject to the prior review and approval of the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and shall be structured in a manner that is consistent with all federal laws and regulations governing (i) Title XIX disproportionate share hospital payment adjustments and other rate payments, (ii) conditions for receiving federal financial participation, and (iii) permissible sources of state financial participation as provided for under 42 C.F.R. part 433 and all other applicable federal regulations.
(c) For purposes of this section, uncompensated care costs shall include: any charity care cost, and any portion of Medicaid-covered patient care costs unreimbursed by Medicaid payments, that the commissioner determines would meet the criteria under 42 U.S.C. section 1396r-4(g) governing hospital-specific limits on disproportionate share hospital payments under Title XIX of the Social Security Act and the provisions of all federal regulations promulgated thereunder.
(d) One percent of the funds made available for uncompensated care payments shall be placed in a separate class line reserved for the expenses of the department in administering this subdivision.
II. Moneys in the uncompensated care fund shall be continually appropriated to the department for the purposes of this subdivision.
[III. The balance of the moneys remaining in the fund at the end of each fiscal year shall lapse into the general fund.]
10 Operating Budget; Department of Health and Human Services; Provider Payments. Amend 2013, 143.1, 05, 95, 47, 470010, 7940, estimated source of funds for provider payments, to read as follows:
ESTIMATED SOURCE OF FUNDS FOR
PROVIDER PAYMENTS
007 Agency Income 18,601,359 19,078,123
009 Agency Income [81,691,149] 153,891,149 [90,291,149] 163,991,149
FEDERAL FUNDS 229,814,212 219,781,567
GENERAL FUNDS [115,098,935] 42,898,935 [95,750,212] 22,050,212
TOTAL SOURCE OF FUNDS 445,205,655 424,901,051
11 Estimates Revenues. Amend 2013, 143:17 to read as follows:
143:17 Estimates of Unrestricted Revenue.
GENERAL FUND FY 2014 FY 2015
BUSINESS PROFITS TAX $276,010,000 $281,700,000
BUSINESS ENTERPRISE TAX 73,600,000 75,100,000
SUBTOTAL BUSINESS TAXES 349,610,000 356,800,000
MEALS AND ROOMS TAX 242,400,000 247,360,000
TOBACCO TAX 127,000,000 121,900,000
TRANSFER FROM LIQUOR 133,400,000 136,800,000
INTEREST AND DIVIDENDS TAX 96,100,000 98,000,000
INSURANCE 86,900,000 109,500,000
COMMUNICATIONS TAX 62,500,000 62,500,000
REAL ESTATE TRANSFER TAX 63,575,000 64,835,000
COURT FINES & FEES 13,000,000 13,000,000
SECURITIES REVENUE 37,600,000 37,600,000
UTILITY CONSUMPTION TAX 6,000,000 6,000,000
BOARD AND CARE 27,500,000 28,200,000
BEER TAX 13,200,000 13,200,000
OTHER REVENUES 77,200,000 77,500,000
TOBACCO SETTLEMENT 2,400,000 1,900,000
SUBTOTAL 1,338,385,000 1,375,095,000
[MEDICAID ENHANCEMENT TAX 72,200,000 73,700,000]
MEDICAID RECOVERIES 5,400,000 5,400,000
TOTAL GENERAL FUND 1,343,785,000 [1,381,995,000] 1,380,495,000
EDUCATION FUND FY 2014 FY 2015
BUSINESS PROFITS TAX 58,550,000 59,800,000
BUSINESS ENTERPRISE TAX 149,440,000 152,600,000
SUBTOTAL BUSINESS TAXES 207,990,000 212,400,000
MEALS AND ROOMS TAX 7,800,000 7,840,000
TOBACCO TAX 74,600,000 71,600,000
REAL ESTATE TRANSFER TAX 31,325,000 31,925,000
TRANSFER FROM LOTTERY 73,100,000 75,000,000
TRANSFER FROM RACING
& CHARITABLE GAMING 3,400,000 3,400,000
TOBACCO SETTLEMENT 40,000,000 40,000,000
UTILITY PROPERTY TAX 34,500,000 35,400,000
STATEWIDE PROPERTY TAX 363,600,000 363,600,000
TOTAL EDUCATION FUND 836,315,000 841,165,000
HIGHWAY FUND FY 2014 FY 2015
GASOLINE ROAD TOLL 122,750,000 122,050,000
MOTOR VEHICLE FEES 109,473,000 109,873,000
MISCELLANEOUS 15,800,000 15,000,000
TOTAL HIGHWAY FUND 248,023,000 246,923,000
FISH AND GAME FUND FY 2014 FY 2015
FISH AND GAME LICENSES 8,500,000 8,500,000
FINES AND MISCELLANEOUS 1,644,000 1,644,000
TOTAL FISH AND GAME FUND 10,144,000 10,144,000
12 Applicability. Sections 1-4, 8, and 9 of this act shall take effect upon its passage and shall apply to taxable periods beginning on or after July 1, 2013.
13 Medicaid Enhancement Tax; Definition; Hospital Changed to Health Care Provider. RSA 84-A:1, III is repealed and reenacted to read as follows:
III. “Health care provider” shall mean any person or entity which provides health care services set forth in 42 C.F.R. section 433.56 (a) (1), (2), (9), (15), (17) and (18) and which has a net patient services revenue in excess of $500,000.
14 Medicaid Enhancement Tax; Definition; Net Patient Services Revenue. RSA 84-A:1, IV-a is repealed and reenacted to read as follows:
IV-a. “Net patient services revenue” means the gross charges of any health care provider not specifically exempted from the provisions of this chapter for health care services set forth in 42 C.F.R. section 433.56(a)(1), (2), (9), (15), (17), and (18) less any deducted amounts for bad debts, charity care, and payor discounts. “Net patient services revenue” shall include revenues received from the state’s uncompensated care account and revenues received from all payers of health care services set forth in 42 C.F.R. section 433.56(a)(1), (2), (9), 15, 17, and 18.
15 Imposition of Tax. RSA 84-A:2 is repealed and reenacted to read as follows:
84-A:2 Imposition of Tax.
I. For the taxable period beginning July 1, 2014 and ending June 30, 2015, a tax is imposed at a rate of 5 percent upon the net patient services revenue of every health care provider for the health care provider’s fiscal year ending during the first full calendar year preceding the taxable period.
II. For each taxable period beginning July 1, 2015 and every taxable period thereafter, the commissioner of revenue administration shall calculate the tax rate for such taxable period. The rate shall be a maximum of 5 percent but shall be reduced in order to produce the same amount of revenue received in the taxable period ending June 30, 2015. The commissioner shall adopt rules, pursuant to RSA 541-A, relative to:
(a) The certification of the tax rate to be applied in each taxable period beginning with the taxable period ending June 30, 2016; and
(b) The forms and any information that shall be furnished to the department from health care provider’s for certification of the tax rate.
16 New Section; Medicaid Enhancement Tax; Exemptions. Amend RSA 84-A by inserting after section 2 the following new section:
84-A:2-a Exemptions. The tax and reporting duties imposed pursuant to this chapter shall not apply to the following entities and activities:
I. Nursing homes and other residential care facilities, such as board and care homes, adult foster homes, boarding care homes, and adult day care centers.
II. Home health agencies.
III. Providers of personal care services.
IV. Providers of private duty nursing services.
V. An entity that employs health care providers to service only their employees.
VI. An educational institution that provides services to its students, if it does not charge for extended coverage.
VII. Services provided to nursing homes and in connection with assisted living and congregate housing programs.
VIII. Examinations for insurance, employment, and litigation.
IX. Mental health services.
X. Hospice services.
XI. Residential services for the developmentally disabled.
XII. Any ambulance services paid for or furnished by the federal government or any state or municipal public body pursuant to 42 C.F.R. section 433.68(c).
17 Change From “Hospital” to “Health Care Provider.” Amend the following RSA provisions by replacing “hospital” or “hospitals” with “health care provider” or “health care providers:” 84-A:1, VI, 84-A:6, 84-A:7, 84-A:8.
18 Repeal. The following are repealed:
I. 84-A:1, III-a, relative to the definition of inpatient hospital services.
II. 84-A:1, IV-b, relative to the definition of outpatient hospital services.
19 Contingency. If the provisions inserted by section 1-4 of this act are found unconstitutional, then sections 13-18 of this act shall take effect on the date on which the commissioner of revenue administration certifies to the secretary of state and the director of legislative services that sections 1-4 have been found to be unconstitutional.
20 Effective Date.
I. Sections 5-7 of this act shall take effect July 1, 2014.
II. Sections 13-18 of this act shall take effect as provided in section 19 of this act.
III. The remainder of this act shall take effect upon its passage.
LBAO
14-2699
Amended 04/01/14
SB 369-FN-A FISCAL NOTE
AN ACT relative to the Medicaid enhancement tax.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The Departments of Revenue Administration and Health and Human Services state this bill, as amended by the Senate (Amendment #2014-1075s), will reduce state revenue and expenditures by an indeterminable amount in FY 2014 and each year thereafter. This bill will have no fiscal impact on county or local revenue and expenditures.
METHODOLOGY:
The Department of Revenue Administration (DRA) states section 1 of this bill would remove application of the Medicaid Enhancement Tax (MET) to special hospitals for rehabilitation contingent upon federal approval of the waiver in sections 3 and 4 of the bill. These hospitals currently pay the Medicaid Enhancement Tax (MET) and exempting them from the MET would result in a decrease in state tax revenue. The Department states the specific fiscal impact cannot be disclosed because the information relates to fewer than five taxpayers and disclosure would identify, or permit identification of particular tax returns, reports, or related documents of the taxpayers and violate of RSA 21-J:14. Since the section applies to the current taxable period ending June 30, 2014, the Department assumes it may be necessary to issue refunds for MET paid by the rehabilitation hospitals for the current period. Since the section is contingent upon federal waiver approval, the Department cannot determine when the reduction in revenue would occur. The Department states it could administer this section without additional costs.
The Department of Revenue Administration states section 2 of the bill removes the term “special hospitals for rehabilitation” from the Uncompensated Care Fund law, RSA 167:63, IV. Section 3 of the bill inserts a new paragraph after RSA 167:65, IV that requires a federal waiver request for certain special hospitals for rehabilitation for the purpose of waiving RSA 84-A MET liability. Section 4 of the bill provides for the applicability of the aforementioned sections 1 and 2. DRA defers to the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) relative to statements on the fiscal impact on sections 2 through 4.
The Department of Revenue Administration states section 5 seeks to change payment of the MET from a single annual payment to quarterly payments payable no later than the 15th day of October, January, March and June of the taxable period. Section 6 of the bill would require an MET return on or before the 15th day of June of the taxable period. Said return is currently due on the 10th day of July of the taxable period. Section 7 changes the reference to payments required by RSA 84-A:3, II-a as there would no longer be a section II-a. DRA states sections 5 through 7 would have no impact on state revenue and it could administer these provisions at no additional cost.
The Department of Health and Human Services states there are three rehabilitation hospitals in New Hampshire: Hampstead Hospital, Northeast Rehabilitation Hospital, and HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital. The Department states Hampstead Hospital has previously received an exemption from the MET tax and the impact of this bill would be to the taxes paid by Northeast and HealthSouth rehabilitation hospitals. The Department indicates removing these hospitals from the definition of hospital in the Uncompensated Care Fund and MET statutes would reduce the tax collected and the federal matching funds used to make uncompensated care payments to hospitals. In addition, the rehabilitation hospitals would no longer participate in the uncompensated care program and would not receive uncompensated care payments. Due to the confidentiality requirements in RSA 21-J:14, the Department is not able to disclose the specific amounts. The Department states changing payment of the MET tax from annual to quarterly would also impact the timing of uncompensated care payments to hospitals which are funded in part by the MET tax revenue. The Department assumes there may be refunds for the current tax period ending June 30, 2014 for MET payments made by the exempted hospitals.
