Legislative Update
On Beacon Hill…
FY04 Supplemental Budget Highlights...The following provisions were enacted by
the Legislature in early September and now the bill has been passed on to Governor
Mitt Romney for review. Highlights include:
Medicaid
Establishes a $15 million reserve to improve Medicaid rates for hospitals, physician
practices, community health centers and other health care providers who serve
Medicaid patients. In addition, a five-member committee has been comprised to
oversee a private study to analyze Medicaid rates to hospitals, physician practices,
community health centers and other providers. The study is due to be completed
by January 2005.
Free Care Pool
Restores $12 million in General Funds to the Uncompensated Care Trust Fund. (Section
154). The implementation of the new “critical access” law is delayed
until April 1, 2005. This new law limits free care pool patients’ access
to primary care at acute hospitals. (Medicaid patients are not affected by this
change). (Section 161) Dedicates an additional $3 million to the free care pool
for community health centers. (Section 162)
Department of Public Health
Dedicates an additional $1.7 million to HIV programs and an additional $12 million
to Substance Abuse programs in the Dept. of Public Health. Adds $100,000 to community
health center funds from DPH, and an additional $2.5 million for one-time grants
to CHC’s or community dentists for purposes of increasing capacity or increasing
access to dental programs. The one-time grants would be for infrastructure development,
loan forgiveness or similar incentive payments.
Additional Provisions
Requires a review every three years of the present and future health needs for
Massachusetts, and whether such current and future needs warrant a change in the
allocation of funds from the Tobacco Settlement Fund between the Health Care Security
Trust fund and the General Fund.