Bill Text: PA HB978 | 2009-2010 | Regular Session | Amended

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Bill Title: Further providing for accreditation of Level III trauma centers and for payment calculation of funding of trauma centers.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 30-5)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-10-06 - Re-reported as committed [HB978 Detail]

Download: Pennsylvania-2009-HB978-Amended.html

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PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 1132 PRINTER'S NO. 1282
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 978 Session of2009
INTRODUCED BY EACHUS, DeWEESE, PALLONE, GEORGE, DALEY, D. O'BRIEN, BELFANTI, FREEMAN, HARKINS, BISHOP, FABRIZIO, MANN, STABACK, JOSEPHS, McILVAINE SMITH, HOUGHTON, KOTIK, PRESTON, WALKO, BRENNAN, GERGELY, D. COSTA, EVERETT, YOUNGBLOOD, GOODMAN, MYERS, SOLOBAY, MURT AND K. SMITH, MARCH 18, 2009
AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, MARCH 25, 2009
AN ACT
Amending the act of March 24, 2004 (P.L.148, No.15), entitled
"An act providing for the availability of and access to a
comprehensive trauma care system; and imposing powers and
duties upon the Department of Public Welfare," further
providing for accreditation of Level III trauma centers and
for payment calculation of funding of trauma centers.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Sections 3 and 5(c) of the act of March 24, 2004
(P.L.148, No.15), known as the Pennsylvania Trauma Systems
Stabilization Act, are amended to read:
Section 3. Accreditation of Level III trauma centers.
(a) Standards.--The foundation shall accredit Level III
trauma centers in accordance with established standards, which
shall be based upon the current guidelines for trauma centers as
defined by the American College of Surgeons for Level III trauma
centers. The accreditation process shall be conducted in
compliance with section 6 of the act of July 3, 1985 (P.L.164,
No.45), known as the Emergency Medical Services Act.
(b) Additional requirements.--In addition to the Level III
standards established by the foundation under subsection (a), a
hospital must meet all of the following criteria to qualify for
Level III accreditation:
(1) Provide comprehensive emergency services.
(2) Total on an annual basis at least 4,000 inpatient
admissions from its emergency department.
(3) Be located in a third to eighth class county [with
no Level I or Level II trauma center].
(4) Be located more than 25 miles travel distance from a
Level I or Level II trauma center.
(c) Submission of application required.--To be eligible for
accreditation as a Level III trauma center and to qualify for
funds under this act, an eligible hospital must submit an
application to the foundation for the purpose of determining
compliance with the [standards under subsection (a) and the] <--
criteria under subsection (b). [No later than 30 days after the
effective date of this section, an application shall be
developed by the foundation and made available to eligible
hospital applicants.]
(d) Review of application.--Within 120 days of the receipt
of an application, the foundation shall complete its review of
the application to determine compliance with the [standards <--
under subsection (a) and the] criteria under subsection (b). No <--
later than [120]240 days from the completion of [that review]a <--
site survey, the foundation shall grant or deny a certificate of
[accreditation] continuance for up to four years, if there is <--
evidence of continued development as outlined by the foundation
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for those hospitals seeking to be [qualified]accredited as Level <--
III trauma centers.
(e) Review of Level III trauma centers.--No later than five
years after the effective date of this section, the foundation
shall reassess the impact of Level III trauma centers on patient
outcomes and on the trauma system as a whole. The report with
recommendations shall be forwarded to the Secretary of Health,
the Public Health and Welfare Committee of the Senate and the
Health and Human Services Committee of the House of
Representatives.
(f) Other trauma center references.--A Level III trauma
center accredited under this act shall not be considered an
accredited trauma center for purposes of any other act.
Section 5. Funding.
* * *
(c) Payment calculation.--
(1) Payment to qualified hospitals shall be allocated as
follows:
(i) Ninety percent of available funds shall be
allocated to hospitals accredited as Level I and Level II
trauma centers.
(ii) The remaining 10% shall be allocated to
hospitals accredited as Level III trauma centers and <--
hospitals pursuing Level III accreditation for up to four
years with documented evidence of progression toward
accreditation as verified by the foundation.
(2) Payment to each qualifying hospital accredited as a
Level I or Level II trauma center shall be calculated using
data provided by the foundation as follows:
(i) Fifty percent of the total amount available for
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Level I and Level II trauma centers shall be allocated
equally among Level I and Level II trauma centers.
(ii) Fifty percent of the total amount available for
Level I and Level II trauma centers shall be allocated on
the basis of each trauma center's percentage of medical
assistance and uninsured trauma cases and patient days
compared to the Statewide total number of medical
assistance and uninsured trauma cases and patient days
for all Level I and Level II trauma centers.
(3) Subject to paragraph (4), payment to each qualifying
hospital accredited or seeking accreditation as a Level III
trauma center shall be calculated using the information and
data provided by the foundation as follows:
(i) Fifty percent of the total amount available for
Level III trauma centers shall be allocated equally among
all Level III trauma centers.
(ii) Fifty percent of the total amount available for
Level III trauma centers shall be allocated on the basis
of each trauma center's percentage of medical assistance
and uninsured trauma cases and patient days compared to
the Statewide total number of medical assistance and
uninsured trauma cases and patient days for all Level III
trauma centers.
(4) Payment to each qualifying hospital accredited as a
Level III may not be greater than 50% of the average
Statewide annual payment to a Level II trauma center as
determined in the methodology described in paragraph (2).
Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
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