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H. 4795

STATUS INFORMATION

Concurrent Resolution
Sponsors: Reps. Cobb-Hunter, J.E. Smith, Allen, Altman, Anthony, Bailey, Bales, Barfield, Battle, Bingham, Bowers, Branham, Breeland, G. Brown, J. Brown, R. Brown, Cato, Ceips, Chellis, Clark, Clemmons, Clyburn, Coates, Coleman, Cooper, Cotty, Dantzler, Davenport, Delleney, Duncan, Edge, Emory, Freeman, Frye, Gilham, Gourdine, Govan, Hagood, Hamilton, Harrell, Harrison, Harvin, Haskins, Hayes, Herbkersman, J. Hines, M. Hines, Hinson, Hosey, Howard, Huggins, Jennings, Keegan, Kennedy, Kirsh, Koon, Leach, Lee, Limehouse, Littlejohn, Lloyd, Loftis, Lourie, Lucas, Mack, Mahaffey, Martin, McCraw, McGee, McLeod, Merrill, Miller, Moody-Lawrence, J.H. Neal, J.M. Neal, Neilson, Ott, Owens, Parks, Perry, Phillips, Pinson, E.H. Pitts, M.A. Pitts, Quinn, Rhoad, Rice, Richardson, Rivers, Rutherford, Sandifer, Scarborough, Scott, Simrill, Sinclair, Skelton, D.C. Smith, F.N. Smith, G.M. Smith, G.R. Smith, J.R. Smith, W.D. Smith, Snow, Stewart, Stille, Talley, Taylor, Thompson, Toole, Townsend, Tripp, Trotter, Umphlett, Vaughn, Viers, Walker, Weeks, Whipper, White, Whitmire, Wilkins, Witherspoon and Young
Document Path: l:\council\bills\bbm\10054mm04.doc

Introduced in the House on February 19, 2004
Tabled in committee on February 25, 2004

Summary: Public hospital, revised definition for federal funding purposes

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

     Date      Body   Action Description with journal page number
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   2/19/2004  House   Introduced HJ-15
   2/19/2004  House   Referred to Committee on Invitations and Memorial 
                        Resolutions HJ-15
   2/25/2004  House   Tabled in committee Invitations and Memorial Resolutions

View the latest legislative information at the LPITS web site

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

2/19/2004

MEMORIALIZING THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS TO ENSURE THAT THE CENTERS FOR MEDICARE AND MEDICAID SERVICES POSTPONE IMPLEMENTATION OF A REVISED DEFINITION OF A "PUBLIC HOSPITAL" FOR PURPOSES OF PARTICIPATION IN THE DISPROPORTIONATE SHARE PROGRAM SO AS TO PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A REVIEW OF THE DRASTIC IMPACT ON THE HOSPITALS OF THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA AND TO ALLOW A TRANSITION PERIOD FOR THOSE HOSPITALS TO REACT TO THE LOSS OF MILLIONS OF VITAL MEDICAID DOLLARS.

Whereas, the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recent decision to redefine "public hospital" may cost South Carolina's hospitals tens of millions of dollars in Medicaid funds; and

Whereas, its desire to curb abuse of Medicaid's disproportionate share program is a laudable one, but the sweeping revision of the concept of "public hospital" individually affects the status of twenty-two South Carolina health institutions who not only contribute to the program, but also stand to lose the better than two-for-one federal match for those dollars; and

Whereas, the disproportionate share program was created twenty years ago to assist hospitals who serve a large population of Medicaid patients; and

Whereas, South Carolina has about 900,000 Medicaid enrollees and another half million residents with no health insurance coverage; and

Whereas, this latest move by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is a giant blow to this state's health care system, from the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, which uses its net receipts from the program to cope with cash-flow problems, to small rural hospitals like Bamberg County Memorial, which earmarks the revenue for the purchase and repair of equipment; and

Whereas, a determination that Palmetto Richland is no longer a public facility cuts out its $90,000,000 contribution to the program, and the resulting $200,000,000 or so the state's hospitals would share after the federal match; and

Whereas, these devastating effects can be lessened substantially if the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services postpone the implementation, and review the scope of efforts to revamp the disproportionate share program. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring:

That the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina memorializes the United States Congress to ensure that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services postpone implementation of a revised definition of a "public hospital" for purposes of participation in the disproportionate share program so as to provide an opportunity for review of the drastic impact on the hospitals of the State of South Carolina and to allow a transition period for those hospitals to react to the loss of millions of vital Medicaid dollars.

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the members of the South Carolina Congressional delegation.

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