TITLE 1.ADMINISTRATION

Part 4. OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE

Chapter 72. STATE SEAL

1 TAC §72.40

The Office of the Secretary of State adopts amendments to §72.40, concerning definitions for the State Seal, without changes to the text as published in the May 10, 2002, issue of the Texas Register (27 TexReg 3869) and will not be republished. The amendments will update statutory references to conform to a codification of statutes. This is a non-substantive change.

House Bill 2812, 77th Legislature, Regular Session, repealed Article 6139f, Revised Civil Statutes. In its place the bill created a new Chapter 3101 of the Government Code concerning State Symbols. These amendments replace references to the old article numbers with the new Chapter 3101 citation.

No comments were received regarding the amendments.

The amendments are adopted under the Business and Commerce Code, §17.08(d), which provides the Secretary of State with the authority to adopt rules concerning the private use of the state seal, and Government Code, §3101.001(f) and §3101.002(b) which requires the Secretary of State to adopt rules concerning standard designs for the state seal, reverse of the state seal, and the state arms.

The amendments affect Texas Government Code, §3101.

This agency hereby certifies that the adoption has been reviewed by legal counsel and found to be a valid exercise of the agency's legal authority.

Filed with the Office of the Secretary of State on June 14, 2002.

TRD-200203718

David Roberts

General Counsel

Office of the Secretary of State

Effective date: July 4, 2002

Proposal publication date: May 10, 2002

For further information, please call: (512) 463-5562


Chapter 81. ELECTIONS

Subchapter I. CAMPAIGN REPORTING AND DISCLOSURE

1 TAC §§81.200 - 81.202, 81.210

The Office of the Secretary of State, Elections Division, adopts the repeal of §§81.200 - 81.202 and §81.210, concerning campaign reporting and disclosure without changes to the proposal as published in the December 21, 2001, Texas Register (26 TexReg 10461) and will not be republished.

These rules are obsolete because the responsibility for campaign reporting and disclosure filings was transferred from the Secretary of State to the Texas Ethics Commission.

No comments were received concerning the proposed repeal.

The repeal is adopted under the Election Code, Chapter 31, Subchapter A, §31.003, which provides the Secretary of State with authority to promulgate rules to obtain uniformity in the interpretation and application of the Election Code.

The Election Code, Title 7, is affected by this repeal.

This agency hereby certifies that the adoption has been reviewed by legal counsel and found to be a valid exercise of the agency's legal authority.

Filed with the Office of the Secretary of State on June 13, 2002.

TRD-200203691

David Roberts

General Counsel

Office of the Secretary of State

Effective date: July 3, 2002

Proposal publication date: December 21, 2001

For further information, please call: (512) 463-5562


Part 15. TEXAS HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION

Chapter 355. MEDICAID REIMBURSEMENT RATES

Subchapter J. PURCHASED HEALTH SERVICES

4. MEDICAID HOSPITAL SERVICES

1 TAC §355.8063

The Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) adopts amendments to §355.8063, concerning reimbursement methodology for inpatient hospital services, with changes to the proposed text as published in the February 15, 2002, issue of the Texas Register (27 TexReg 1060).

Section 355.8063 is amended to describe the provision of supplemental payments to certain high-volume hospitals. The amendments will function by describing the methodology to be used to identify and reimburse high-volume hospitals.

The proposed text in the February 15, 2002, issue of the Texas Register also described certain cost containment initiatives developed in response to Article II, §33 of the Special Provisions Relating to All Health and Human Services Agencies contained in the General Appropriations Act (Act of May 22, 2001, 77th Leg., R.S.). These initiatives are withdrawn in favor of an alternative proposal for cost savings, which was developed in cooperation with the hospital industry, including the Texas Hospital Association and the Hospital Payment Advisory Committee. The alternative proposal will be published in a future issue of the Texas Register .

The adopted rule reflects the deletion of the cost containment proposals described above and clarification of the scope of the supplemental payments included in the proposed amendment. The revisions are as follows:

The proposed amendment to subsection (n)(2) of §355.8063, which temporarily would suspend application of a cost-of-living index, is withdrawn.

The proposed amendment to subsection (p)(1), which would establish a temporary limit on the day outlier payment adjustment, is withdrawn.

The proposed amendment to subsection (p)(2), which would establish a temporary limit on the cost outlier payment adjustment, is withdrawn.

Proposed subsection (t)(1) is revised to correctly identify which Texas counties with a publicly-owned hospital or a hospital affiliated with a hospital district are eligible for the supplemental payments proposed under new subsection (t).

HHSC received comments from the Texas Association of Public and Non-Profit Hospitals and a law firm.

The following comments were received during the comment period concerning the proposed amendment.

Comment: One commenter inquired whether HHSC intended to have only one hospital from the counties listed in subsection (t)(1) eligible to receive supplemental high volume payments.

Response: HHSC revised subsection (t)(3) to clarify that only one publicly owned hospital or hospital affiliated with a hospital district in each county listed in subsection (t)(1) will be eligible to receive supplemental high volume payments.

Comment: One commenter inquired whether HHSC intended to remove the inflation factor adjustment in calculating the default Standard Dollar Amount for "Newly Enrolled Hospitals," "Newly Constructed Hospitals," "Out-of-State Hospitals."

Response: As noted above, proposed subsection (n)(2) as published in the February 15, 2002, issue of the Texas Register is withdrawn in favor of an alternative proposal for meeting Medicaid cost containment mandates contained in the General Appropriations Act (Article II, §33 of the Special Provisions Relating to All Health and Human Services Agencies contained in the General Appropriations Act) (Act of May 22, 2001, 77th Leg., R.S.). The alternative proposal will be published in a future issue of the Texas Register .

Comment: One commenter requested HHSC clarify subsection (t)(5) concerning the meaning of fully offsetting Medicaid payments against the "hospital specific limit".

Response: HHSC revised subsection (t)(5) to describe how the "hospital specific limit", the "Medicaid Shortfall", and the "cost of services to uninsured patients" will be adjusted by Medicaid payments in excess of Medicaid cost.

The amendments are adopted under authority granted to HHSC by §531.033, Government Code, which authorizes the Commissioner of Health and Human Services to adopt rules necessary to implement HHSC's duties, and under §531.021(a), Government Code, which authorizes HHSC to administer federal medical assistance (Medicaid) program funds.

§355.8063.Reimbursement Methodology for Inpatient Hospital Services.

(a) Introduction. Except as otherwise specified in subsection (q) of this section, the Texas Medical Assistance Program (Medicaid) reimburses hospitals, except in-state children's hospitals, for covered inpatient hospital services using a prospective payment system. In-state children's hospitals are reimbursed for covered inpatient hospital services using the methodology described in subsection (o) of this section. For hospitals other than in-state children's hospitals, the department or its designee groups hospitals into payment divisions using the average base year payment per case in each hospital after adjusting each hospital's base year payment per case by a case mix index, a cost-of-living index, and a budgetary reduction factor of 10%. The budgetary reduction factor for admissions occurring in state fiscal year 1990 (September 1, 1989, through August 31, 1990) is 7.0% and the budgetary reduction factor for admissions occurring in state fiscal year 1991 (September 1, 1990, through August 31, 1991) is 5.5%. For admissions occurring in state fiscal year 1992 (September 1, 1991, through August 31, 1992) and subsequent state fiscal years, a budgetary reduction factor is not applied. The payment divisions are separated into $100 increments. If a payment division has less than ten observations for Medicaid data, the department or its designee considers that payment division to be statistically invalid. Hospitals within that payment division are placed into the nearest valid payment division.

(b) Definitions. The following words and terms, when used in this section, shall have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

(1) Diagnosis-related group (DRG)--The taxonomy of diagnoses as defined in the Medicare DRG system or as otherwise specified by the department or its designee.

(2) Case mix index--The hospital-specific average relative weight.

(3) Relative weight--The arithmetic mean of the dollars for a specific DRG divided by the arithmetic mean of the dollars for all cases.

(4) Standard dollar amount--The weighted mean base year payment for all hospitals in a payment division after adjusting each hospital's base year payment per case by a case mix index, a cost-of-living index, and a budgetary reduction factor of 10%. The budgetary reduction factor for admissions occurring in state fiscal year 1990 (September 1, 1989, through August 31, 1990) is 7.0% and the budgetary reduction factor for admissions occurring in state fiscal year 1991 (September 1, 1990, through August 31, 1991) is 5.5%. For admissions occurring in state fiscal year 1992 (September 1, 1991, through August 31, 1992) and subsequent state fiscal years, a budgetary reduction factor is not applied. The department or its designee establishes a minimum standard dollar amount of $1,600 and applies it to those hospitals whose standard dollar amount is less than the minimum. The department or its designee applies cost-of-living indexes to the standard dollar amounts established for the base year to calculate standard dollar amounts for prospective years. A cost-of-living index is not applied to the minimum standard dollar amount.

(5) Base year--A 12-consecutive-month period of claims data selected by the department or its designee as the basis for establishing the payment divisions, standard dollar amounts, and relative weights. The department or its designee selects a new base year at least every three years.

(6) Base year payment per case--The payment that would have been made to a hospital if the department or its designee reimbursed the hospital under similar methods and procedures used in Title XVIII of the Social Security Act, as amended, effective October 1, 1982, by Public Law 97-248. In calculating the base year payment per case, the department or its designee uses the interim rate established at tentative or final settlement, if applicable, of the most recent cost reporting period up to and including the cost reporting period associated with the base year.

(7) Interim rate--Total reimbursable Title XIX inpatient costs, as specified in paragraph (6) of this subsection, divided by total covered Title XIX inpatient charges per tentative or final cost reporting period. Beginning with 1985 hospital fiscal year cost reporting periods, the interim rate established at tentative settlement includes incentive/penalty payments to the extent that they continue to be permitted by federal law and regulation and continue to be included on Title XVIII cost reports.

(8) New hospital--A facility that has been in operation under present and previous ownership for less than three years and that initially enrolls as a Title XIX provider after the current base year. A new hospital must have been substantially constructed within the five previous years from the effective date of the prospective rate period.

(9) Children's hospital--A hospital within Texas that is recognized by Medicare as a children's hospital and is exempted by Medicare from the Medicare prospective payment system.

(10) Out-of-state children's hospital--A hospital outside of Texas that is recognized by Medicare as a children's hospital and is exempted by Medicare from the Medicare prospective payment system.

(c) Calculating relative weights and standard dollar amounts. The department or its designee uses recent Texas claims data to calculate both the relative weights and standard dollar amounts. A relative weight is calculated for each DRG and applied to all payment divisions. A separate standard dollar amount is calculated for each payment division. Except for border hospitals with a Texas Medicaid provider number beginning with an H and out-of-state children's hospitals, the department or its designee uses the overall arithmetic mean base year payment per case, including the cost of living update as specified in subsection (n) of this section, as the standard dollar amount to reimburse out-of-state hospitals. The overall arithmetic mean base year payment per case, including the cost of living update as specified in subsection (n) of this section, is also used as the standard dollar amount to reimburse military hospitals providing inpatient emergency services for admissions on or after October 1, 1993. The calculation of the standard dollar amount for out-of-state children's hospitals is described in subsection (r) of this section. Except for new hospitals, the overall arithmetic mean base year payment per case, including the cost of living update as specified in subsection (n) of this section, is also used as the standard dollar amount to reimburse hospitals that initially enroll as a Title XIX provider after the current base year. The standard dollar amount for new hospitals is the lesser of the overall arithmetic mean base year payment per case plus three percentile points, including the cost of living update as specified in subsection (n) of this section, or the hospital's average Medicaid cost per Medicaid discharge based on the tentative or final settlement, if applicable, of the hospital's first 12-month cost reporting period occurring after the hospital's enrollment as a Title XIX provider. In the event that the new hospital is a replacement facility for a hospital that is currently enrolled as a Title XIX provider, the hospital is reimbursed by using either the standard dollar amount of the existing provider or the standard dollar amount for new hospitals, whichever is greater. The use of the hospital's average Medicaid cost per Medicaid discharge, after adjusting for case-mix intensity, as its standard dollar amount is applied prospectively to the beginning of the next prospective year and is applicable only if the tentative or final settlement is completed and available at least 60 days before the beginning of the prospective year. The hospital's Medicaid costs are determined using similar methods and procedures used in Title XVIII of the Social Security Act, as amended, effective October 1, 1982, by Public Law 97-248. When two or more Title XIX participating providers merge, the department or its designee combines the Medicaid inpatient costs, as described in this subsection, of each of the individual providers to calculate a standard dollar amount, effective at the start of the next prospective period, to be used to reimburse the merged entity. Acquisitions and buyouts do not result in a recalculation of the standard dollar amount of the acquired provider unless acquisitions or buyouts result in the purchased or acquired hospital becoming part of another Medicaid participating provider. When the department or its designee determines that the department or its designee has made an error that, if corrected, would result in the standard dollar amount of the provider for which the error was made changing to a new payment division, either higher or lower, the department or its designee moves the provider into the correct payment division, and the department or its designee reprocesses claims paid using the initial, incorrect standard dollar amount that was in effect for the current state fiscal year by using the existing standard dollar amount of the payment division in which the provider was moved. In the determination of the corrected payment division, the department or its designee uses the relative weights that are currently in effect for the state fiscal year. The correction of this error condition only applies to the current state fiscal year payments. No corrections are made to payment rates for services provided in previous state fiscal years. If a specific DRG has less than ten observations for Medicaid data, the department or its designee uses the corresponding Medicare relative weight, except for DRGs relating to organ transplants. Relative weights for organ transplant DRGs with less than ten observations may be developed using Medicaid-specific data. The relative weights include organ procurement costs for both solid and nonsolid organs. The department or its designee makes no distinction between urban and rural hospitals and there is no federal/national portion within the payment.

(d) Add-on payments. There are no separate add-on payments. The department or its designee:

(1) includes capital costs in the standard dollar amount for each payment division;

(2) includes the cost of indirect medical education in the standard dollar amount for each payment division;

(3) includes the cost of malpractice insurance in the standard dollar amount for each payment division; and

(4) includes return on equity in the standard dollar amount for each payment division.

(e) Calculating the payment amount. The department or its designee reimburses each hospital for covered inpatient hospital services by multiplying the standard dollar amount established for the hospital's payment division by the appropriate relative weight. The patient's DRG classification is primarily based on the patient's principal diagnosis. The resulting amount is the payment amount to the hospital.

(f) Patient transfers. If a patient is transferred, the department or its designee establishes payment amounts as specified in paragraphs (1)-(4) of this subsection. If appropriate, the department or its designee manually reviews transfers for medical necessity and appropriate payment.

(1) If the patient is transferred to a skilled nursing facility or intermediate care facility, the department or its designee pays the transferring hospital the total payment amount of the patient's DRG.

(2) If the patient is transferred to another hospital, the department or its designee pays the receiving hospital the total payment amount of the patient's DRG. The department or its designee pays the transferring hospital a DRG per diem. The DRG per diem is based on the following formula: (DRG relative weight x standard dollar amount) / DRG mean length of stay (LOS) x LOS. The LOS is the lesser of the DRG mean LOS, the claim LOS, or 30 days. The 30-day factor is not used in establishing a DRG per diem amount for a medically necessary stay of a recipient less than age one in a Title XIX participating hospital or a recipient less than age six in a disproportionate share hospital as defined by the department.

(3) If the department or its designee determines that the transferring hospital provided a greater amount of care than the receiving hospital, the department or its designee reverses the payment amounts. The transferring hospital is paid the total payment amount of the patient's DRG and the receiving hospital is paid the DRG per diem.

(4) The department or its designee makes multiple transfer payments by applying the per diem formula to the transferring hospitals and the total DRG payment amount to the discharging hospital.

(g) Split billing. The department or its designee does not allow interim billings by providers. The hospital may bill the department or its designee when the patient exceeds his 30-day inpatient hospital limit or is discharged. The department or its designee bases payment on the diagnosis codes known at billing. The payment is final.

(h) Rebasing the standard dollar amounts. The department or its designee rebases the standard dollar amount for each payment division at least every three years. The relative weights are recalibrated whenever the standard dollar amounts are recalculated. The standard dollar amounts are not rebased on an interim basis unless the department or its designee determines that special circumstances warrant rebasing.

(i) Recalibrating the relative weights. The department or its designee recalibrates the relative weights whenever the standard dollar amounts are rebased.

(j) Revising the diagnosis related groups. The department or its designee parallels the taxonomy of diagnoses as defined in the Medicare DRG prospective payment system unless a revision is required based on Texas claims data or other factors as determined by the department or its designee.

(k) Appeals.

(1) A hospital may appeal individual claims as specified in other department rules. As specified in subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) of this paragraph, a hospital may also appeal mechanical, mathematical, and data entry errors in base year claims data and incorrectly computed subsequent adjustments to the hospital's base year claims data because of the base year's tentative or final settlement.

(A) If a hospital believes that the department or its designee made a mechanical, mathematical, or data entry error in computing the hospital's base year claims data, the hospital may request a review of the disputed calculation by the department or, at the department's direction, its designee. A hospital may not request a review if the disputed calculation is the result of the hospital's submittal of incorrect data or the result of the department's or its designee's application of an interim rate to the base year claims data derived from a cost reporting period occurring before the base year. Upon the provider hospital's request, the department or its designee provides the applicable available data used in calculating the hospital's base year claims data to the provider hospital. The hospital must submit a specific written request for review and appropriate specific documentation supporting its contention that there has been a mechanical, mathematical, or data entry error to the department or its designee. Except as specified in subparagraph (C) of this paragraph, the request must be submitted within 60 days after the hospital receives initial notification of its payment division and standard dollar amount. The department or its designee conducts the review as quickly as possible and notifies the hospital of the results. If the hospital is dissatisfied with the results of the review, the hospital may request a formal hearing under the procedures, including the expedited processing provisions, contained in Chapter 1 of this title (relating to the Texas Board of Health), except that, in the event of any conflict, the procedures contained in this section apply. Except as specified in subparagraph (C) of this paragraph, if the review or appeal is completed at least 60 days before the beginning of the next prospective year, any adjustment required after the completion of the review or appeal is applied to that next prospective year. If the review or appeal is not completed at least 60 days before the beginning of the next prospective year, any adjustment required after the completion of the review or appeal is applied only to the subsequent prospective year. The base year claims data used by the department or its designee pending the review or appeal is the base year claims data established by the department or its designee.

(B) If a hospital believes that the department or its designee incorrectly computed subsequent adjustments to the hospital's base year claims data because of the base year's tentative or final settlement, the hospital may request a review of the disputed calculation related to the tentative or final settlement by the department or, at the department's direction, its designee. The hospital's request may also include a request to review the tentative or final settlement. The hospital must submit a specific written request for review and appropriate specific documentation supporting its contention that the tentative or final settlement is incorrect to the department or its designee. Except as specified in subparagraph (C) of this paragraph, the request must be submitted within 60 days after the hospital receives notification of a tentative or final settlement of the base year data. The department or its designee conducts the review as quickly as possible and notifies the hospital of the results. If the hospital is dissatisfied with the results of the review, the hospital may request a formal hearing under the procedures, including the expedited processing provisions, contained in Chapter 1 of this title (relating to the Texas Board of Health), except that, in the event of any conflict, the procedures contained in this section apply. Except as specified in subparagraph (C) of this paragraph, if the review or appeal is completed at least 60 days before the beginning of the next prospective year, any adjustment required after the completion of the review or appeal is applied to that next prospective year. If the review or appeal is not completed at least 60 days before the beginning of the next prospective year, any adjustment required after the completion of the review or appeal is applied only to the subsequent prospective year. The interim rate applied to the base year claims data pending the review or appeal is the interim rate established by the department or its designee.

(C) If a hospital believes that the department or its designee incorrectly computed the hospital's 1985 base year claims data as specified in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph, the hospital may submit a specific written request for review and appropriate specific documentation supporting its contention within 60 days after the effective date of this section. If a hospital believes that the department or its designee incorrectly computed the tentative or final settlement of the cost reporting period associated with the 1985 base year as specified in subparagraph (B) of this paragraph, the hospital may submit a specific written request for review and appropriate specific documentation supporting its contention within 60 days after the effective date of this section. The hospital must follow the process described in subparagraphs (A) or (B) of this paragraph, as appropriate. If the review or appeal is completed by December 31, 1987, any adjustment required after the completion of the review or appeal is applied to the March 1, 1988, adjustment described in subsection (n) of this section. If the review or appeal is not completed by December 31, 1987, any adjustment required after the completion of the review or appeal is applied to the next prospective year.

(2) A hospital may not appeal the prospective payment methodology used by the department or its designee, including:

(A) the payment division methodologies;

(B) the DRGs established;

(C) the methodology for classifying hospital discharges within the DRGs;

(D) the relative weights assigned to the DRGs; and

(E) the amount of payment as being inadequate to cover costs.

(l) Cost reports. Each hospital must submit a cost report at periodic intervals as prescribed by Medicare or as otherwise prescribed by the department or its designee. The department or its designee uses data from these reports in rebasing years, in making adjustments as described in subsection (n) and subsection (q) of this section, and in completing cost settlements for children's hospitals.

(m) Cost settlements. If a hospital has already begun its fiscal year on September 1, 1986, cost settlement for that portion of the hospital's fiscal year which occurs before September 1, 1986, is based on reimbursement for covered inpatient hospital services under similar methods and procedures used in the Social Security Act, Title XVIII, as amended, effective October 1, 1982, by Public Law 97-248. Except as otherwise specified in subsection (q) of this section, there are no cost settlements for services provided to recipients admitted as inpatients to hospitals reimbursed under the prospective payment system on or after the implementation date of the prospective payment system.

(n) Adjustments to base year claims data.

(1) Beginning with 1985 hospital fiscal year cost reporting periods, the department or its designee adjusts each hospital's base year claims data and resulting payment division and standard dollar amount to reflect the interim rate established at tentative and final settlement, if applicable, of the cost reporting period associated with the base year. The adjustments are applied only to claims data for months within the base year that coincide with months within the hospital's cost reporting period. The claims data for months within the base year that do not coincide with months within the hospital's cost reporting period remain unchanged until the tentative or final settlement of the cost reporting period containing those months has been completed. The adjustments are applied to the next prospective year beginning September 1, 1988, except as specified in subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) of this paragraph.

(A) If the tentative or final settlement is not completed and available at least 60 days before the beginning of the next prospective year, any adjustment required because of the settlement is applied to the subsequent prospective year.

(B) If a review or appeal of a tentative or final settlement is not completed at least 60 days before the beginning of the next prospective year, the interim rate applied to the claims data on which the hospital's payment division and standard dollar amount are established is the interim rate established at tentative or final settlement by the department or its designee. Any adjustment required after the completion of the review or appeal is applied only to the subsequent prospective year.

(C) The department or its designee makes a March 1, 1988, adjustment to each hospital's 1985 base year claims data and resulting payment division and standard dollar amount to reflect the interim rate established at tentative and final settlement, if applicable, of the cost reporting period associated with the 1985 base year. Any additional adjustments required as a result of reviews and appeals described in subsection (k) of this section and completed by December 31, 1987, are also reflected in the March 1, 1988, adjustment. Future adjustments as described in this subsection and subsection (k) of this section are made at the beginning of each prospective year.

(2) The department or its designee updates the standard dollar amount each year for each payment division by applying a cost-of-living index to the standard dollar amount established for the base year. The index used to update the standard dollar amounts is the greater of:

(A) the Health Care Financing Administration's (HCFA) Market Basket Forecast (PPS Hospital Input Price Index) based on the report issued for the federal fiscal year quarter ending in March of each year, adjusted for the state fiscal year by summing one-third of the annual forecasted rate of the index for the current calendar year and two-thirds of the annual forecasted rate of the index for the next calendar year; or

(B) an amount determined by selecting the lesser of the following two measures:

(i) the change in total charges per case for the latest year available compared to total charges per case for the previous year; or

(ii) the change in the Texas medical consumer price index-urban (that is, the arithmetic mean of the Houston and Dallas/Fort Worth medical consumer price indices for urban consumers) for the latest year available compared to the Texas medical consumer price index-urban for the previous year.

(o) Reimbursement to in-state children's hospitals. The department or its designee reimburses in-state children's hospitals under similar methods and procedures used in the Social Security Act, Title XVIII, as amended, effective October 1, 1982, by Public Law 97-248, except for the cost of direct graduate medical education. The department or its designee establishes target rates and stipulates payments per discharge, incentives, and percentage of payments. The department or its designee uses each hospital's 1987 final audited cost reporting period (fiscal year ending during calendar year 1987) as its target base period. The target base period for hospitals recognized by Medicare as children's hospitals after the implementation of this subsection is the hospital's first full 12-month cost reporting period occurring after its recognition by Medicare. The department or its designee annually increases each hospital's target amount for the target base period by the cost-of-living index described in subsection (n) of this section. The department or its designee selects a new target base period at least every three years. The department or its designee bases interim payments to each hospital upon the interim rate derived from the hospital's most recent tentative or final Medicaid cost report settlement. If a Title XIX participating hospital is subsequently recognized by Medicare as a children's hospital after the implementation of this subsection, the hospital must submit written notification to the department or its designee and include adequate documentation and claims data. Upon receipt of the written notification from the hospital, the department or its designee reserves the right to take 90 days to convert the hospital's reimbursement to the reimbursement methodology described in this subsection.

(p) Day and cost outliers. Effective for inpatient hospital services provided on or after July 1, 1991, the HHSC or its designee pays day or cost outliers for medically necessary inpatient services provided to clients less than age one in all Title XIX participating hospitals and clients less than age six in disproportionate share hospitals, as defined by the HHSC, that are reimbursed under the prospective payment system. For purposes of outlier payment adjustments, disproportionate share hospitals are defined as those hospitals identified by the HHSC during the previous state fiscal year as disproportionate share hospitals. If an admission qualifies for both a day and a cost outlier, only the outlier resulting in the highest payment to the hospital is paid. (Note: This subsection does not address reimbursement for the provision of other necessary inpatient hospital services under the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment Program, as required by the Omnibus Budget and Reconciliation Act of 1989.)

(1) To establish day outliers, the HHSC or its designee first removes from the current base year data those admissions whose actual lengths of stay are greater than or equal to plus or minus three standard deviations from the arithmetic mean length of stay for each DRG. The HHSC or its designee then recomputes the arithmetic mean length of stay and the standard deviations for each DRG. Inpatient days, which exceed two standard deviations beyond the arithmetic mean length of stay for the DRG are eligible for a day outlier. Payment is based on 70% of a per diem amount of a full DRG payment. The per diem amount is established by dividing the full DRG payment amount by the arithmetic mean length of stay for the DRG.

(2) To establish cost outliers, the HHSC or its designee first determines what the amount of reimbursement for the admission would have been if the HHSC or its designee reimbursed the hospital under similar methods and procedures used in the Social Security Act, Title XVIII, as amended, effective October 1, 1982, by Public Law 97-248, Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act (TEFRA). The HHSC or its designee then determines the outlier threshold by using the greater of the full DRG payment amount multiplied by 1.5 or an amount determined by selecting the lesser of the universe mean of the current base year data multiplied by 11.14, or the hospital's standard dollar amount multiplied by 11.14. The hospital's standard dollar amount is the amount that the HHSC or its designee uses to reimburse the hospital under the prospective payment system. The outlier threshold is subtracted from the amount of reimbursement for the admission established under the TEFRA principles. The HHSC or its designee multiplies any remainder by 70% to determine the actual amount of the cost outlier payment.

(3) If a recipient less than age one is admitted to and remains in a hospital past his or her first birthday, medically necessary inpatient days and hospital charges after the child reaches age one are included in calculating the amount of any day or cost outlier payment.

(q) Hospitals with 100 or fewer licensed beds. The policies in this subsection apply only to hospital fiscal years beginning on or after September 1, 1989, and are applicable only to hospitals with 100 or fewer licensed beds at the beginning of the hospital's fiscal year. At tentative cost settlement of the hospital's fiscal year (with subsequent adjustment at final cost settlement, if applicable), the department or its designee determines what the amount of reimbursement during the fiscal year would have been if the department or its designee reimbursed the hospital under similar methods and procedures used in Title XVIII of the Social Security Act, as amended, effective October 1, 1982, by Public Law 97-248, Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act (TEFRA). This determination is made without imposing a TEFRA cap. If the amount of reimbursement under the TEFRA principles is greater than the amount of reimbursement received by the hospital under the prospective payment system, the department or its designee reimburses the difference to the hospital.

(r) Reimbursement to out-of-state children's hospitals. For admissions on or after September 1, 1991, the standard dollar amount for out-of-state children's hospitals is calculated as specified in this subsection. The department or its designee calculates the overall average cost per discharge for in-state children's hospitals based on tentative or final settlement of cost reporting periods ending in calendar year 1990. The overall average cost per discharge is adjusted for intensity of service by dividing it by the average relative weight for all admissions from in-state children's hospitals during state fiscal year 1990 (September 1, 1989 through August 31, 1990). The adjusted cost per discharge is updated each year by applying the cost-of-living index described in subsection (n) of this section. The resulting product is the standard dollar amount to be used for payment of claims as described in subsection (e) of this section. The department or its designee selects a new cost reporting period and admissions period from the in-state children's hospitals at least every three years for the purpose of calculating the standard dollar amount for out-of-state children's hospitals.

(s) Reimbursement of inpatient direct graduate medical education (GME) costs. The Medicaid allowable inpatient direct graduate medical education cost, as specified under similar methods and procedures used in the Social Security Act, Title XVIII, as amended, effective October 1, 1982, by Public Law 97-248, is calculated for each hospital having inpatient direct graduate medical education costs on its tentative or final audited cost report. Those inpatient direct medical education costs are removed from the calculation of the interim rate described in subsection (b)(7) of this section and are used in the calculation of the provider's standard dollar amount described in subsection (c) of this section. Those allowable inpatient direct graduate medical education costs for services delivered to Medicaid eligible patients with inpatient admission dates on or after September 1, 1997, will be subject to the cost determination and settlement provisions as described in this subsection. No Medicaid inpatient direct graduate medical education cost settlement provisions are applied to inpatient hospital admissions prior to September 1, 1997. Providers with Medicaid allowable inpatient direct graduate medical education costs as described in this subsection will receive an interim monthly payment based upon one-twelfth of their inpatient direct graduate medical education cost from their most recent tentative or final audited cost report. The interim payment amount as described in this subsection will not be updated during the state fiscal year to reflect new tentative or final cost report settlements. These payments are subject to settlement at both tentative and final audit of provider cost reporting periods covering the state fiscal year.

(t) Notwithstanding other provisions of this subchapter and subject to the availability of funds, supplemental payments will be made each state fiscal year in accordance with this subsection to eligible hospitals that serve high volumes of Medicaid and uninsured patients.

(1) Supplemental payments are available under this subsection for inpatient hospital services provided by a publicly-owned hospital or hospital affiliated with a hospital district in Bexar, Dallas, El Paso, Harris, and Tarrant counties on or after July 6, 2001.

(2) State funding for supplemental payments authorized under this paragraph will be limited to and obtained through intergovernmental transfers of local or hospital district funds. The supplemental payments described in this paragraph will be made in accordance with the applicable regulations regarding the Medicaid upper limit provisions codified at 42 C.F.R. §447.272.

(3) In each county listed in subsection (t)(1) of this section, the publicly-owned hospital or hospital affiliated with a hospital district that incurs the greatest amount of cost for providing services to Medicaid and uninsured patients, will be eligible to receive supplemental high volume payments. The supplemental payments authorized under this paragraph are subject to the following limits:

(A) In each state fiscal year the amount of any inpatient supplemental payments and outpatient supplemental payments may not exceed the hospital's "hospital specific limit," as determined under §355.8065(f)(2)(D) of this chapter (relating to Reimbursement to Disproportionate Share Hospitals (DSH)); and

(B) The amount of inpatient supplemental payments and fee-for-service Medicaid inpatient payments the hospital receives in a state fiscal year may not exceed Medicaid inpatient billed charges for inpatient services provided by the hospital to fee-for-service Medicaid recipients in accordance with 42 CFR §447.271.

(4) An eligible hospital will receive quarterly supplemental payments. The quarterly payments will be limited to one-fourth of the lesser of:

(A) The difference between the hospital's Medicaid inpatient billed charges and Medicaid payments the hospital receives for services provided to fee-for-service Medicaid recipients. Medicaid billed charges and payments will be based on a twelve consecutive-month period of fee-for-service claims data selected by HHSC; or

(B) The difference between the hospital's "hospital specific limit," as determined under §355.8065(f)(2)(D) of this chapter (relating to Reimbursement to Disproportionate Share Hospitals (DSH)) and the hospital's DSH payments as determined by the most recently finalized DSH reporting period.

(5) For purposes of calculating the "hospital specific limit" in subsection (t)(4)(B) of this section, the "cost of services to uninsured patients, " as defined by Texas Administrative Code §355.8065(b)(5) and "Medicaid shortfall," as defined by Texas Administrative Code §355.8065(b)(16), will be adjusted as follows:

(A) The amount of Medicaid payments (including inpatient and outpatient supplemental payments) that exceed Medicaid cost will be subtracted from the "Medicaid shortfall."

(B) The amount of the "Medicaid shortfall," as adjusted in accordance with subsection (t)(5)(A) of this section, will be subtracted from the "cost of services to uninsured patients" to ensure that, during any state fiscal year, a hospital does not receive more in total Medicaid payments (inpatient and outpatient rate payments, graduate medical education payments, supplemental payments and disproportionate share hospital payments) than its cost of serving Medicaid patients and patients with no health insurance.

This agency hereby certifies that the adoption has been reviewed by legal counsel and found to be a valid exercise of the agency's legal authority.

Filed with the Office of the Secretary of State on June 17, 2002.

TRD-200203751

Marina S. Henderson

Executive Deputy Commissioner

Texas Health and Human Services Commission

Effective date: July 7, 2002

Proposal publication date: February 15, 2002

For further information, please call: (512) 424-6576