June 29 -- The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) invites comments by August 28, 2023 regarding the proposed extension of Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) Annual Reporting Requirements.
States are required to submit an annual report that identifies each disproportionate share hospital (DSH) that received a DSH payment under the state's Medicaid program in the preceding fiscal year and the amount of DSH payments paid to that hospital in the same year along with other information that the Secretary determines necessary to ensure the appropriateness of DSH payments.
Federal law requires that state Medicaid programs make Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) payments to qualifying hospitals that serve a large number of Medicaid and uninsured individuals.
Federal law establishes an annual DSH allotment for each state that limits Federal Financial Participation (FFP) for total statewide DSH payments made to hospitals. Federal law also limits FFP for DSH payments through the hospital-specific DSH limit. Under the hospital-specific DSH limit, FFP is not available for state DSH payments that are more than the hospital's eligible uncompensated care cost, which is the cost of providing inpatient hospital and outpatient hospital services to Medicaid patients and the uninsured, minus payments received by the hospital on or on the behalf of those patients.
For states to receive FFP for DSH payments, federal law requires states to submit an independent certified audit and an annual report to the Secretary describing DSH payments made to each DSH hospital.
The report must identify each disproportionate share hospital that got a DSH payment adjustment, and provide any other information the Secretary needs to ensure the appropriateness of the payment amount. The annual certified independent audit includes specific verifications to make sure all DSH payments are appropriate.
Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) Payments:
https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/financial-management/medicaid-disproportionate-share-hospital-dsh-payments/index.html
MACPAC Annual Analysis of Medicaid DSH Allotments to States 2023:
https://www.macpac.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Chapter-4-Annual-Analysis-of-Medicaid-DSH-Allotments-to-States.pdf
Draft information collection instruments and technical documentation:
https://www.cms.gov/regulations-and-guidance/legislation/paperworkreductionactof1995/pra-listing-items/cms-r-266
FRN:
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2023-13877
