As used in sections 34 to 39, inclusive, the following words shall, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, have the following meanings:-
"Acute hospital'', the teaching hospital of the University of Massachusetts medical school and any hospital licensed under section 51 of chapter 111 and which contains a majority of medical-surgical, pediatric, obstetric and maternity beds, as defined by the department of public health.
"Allowable reimbursement'', payment to acute hospitals and community health centers for health services provided to uninsured or underinsured patients of the commonwealth under section 39 and any further regulations promulgated by the health safety net office.
"Ambulatory surgical center'', a distinct entity that operates exclusively for the purpose of providing surgical services to patients not requiring hospitalization and meets the requirements of the federal Health Care Financing Administration for participation in the Medicare program.
"Ambulatory surgical center services'', services described for purposes of the Medicare program under 42 U.S.C. 1395k(a)(2)(F)(I). These services include facility services only and do not include surgical procedures.
"Bad debt'', an account receivable based on services furnished to a patient which: (i) is regarded as uncollectible, following reasonable collection efforts consistent with regulations of the office, which regulations shall allow third party payers to negotiate with hospitals to collect the bad debts of its enrollees; (ii) is charged as a credit loss; (iii) is not the obligation of a governmental unit or the federal government or any agency thereof; and (iv) is not a reimbursable health care service.
"Community health center'', a health center operating in conformance with the requirements of Section 330 of United States Public Law 95-626, including all community health centers which file cost reports as requested by the division of health care finance and policy.
"Director'', the director of the health safety net office.
"DRG'', a patient classification scheme known as diagnosis related grouping, which provides a means of relating the type of patients a hospital treats, such as its case mix, to the cost incurred by the hospital.
"Emergency bad debt'', bad debt resulting from emergency services provided by an acute hospital to an uninsured or underinsured patient or other individual who has an emergency medical condition that is regarded as uncollectible, following reasonable collection efforts consistent with regulations of the office.
"Emergency medical condition'', a medical condition, whether physical or mental, manifesting itself by symptoms of sufficient severity, including severe pain, that the absence of prompt medical attention could reasonably be expected by a prudent layperson who possesses an average knowledge of health and medicine to result in placing the health of the person or another person in serious jeopardy, serious impairment to body function or serious dysfunction of any body organ or part or, with respect to a pregnant woman, as further defined in section 1867(e)(1)(B) of the Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C. 1295dd(e)(1)(B).
"Emergency services'', medically necessary health care services provided to an individual with an emergency medical condition.
"Financial requirements'', a hospital's requirement for revenue which shall include, but not be limited to, reasonable operating, capital and working capital costs, the reasonable costs of depreciation of plant and equipment and the reasonable costs associated with changes in medical practice and technology.
"Fund'', the Health Safety Net Trust Fund established under section 36.
"Fund fiscal year'', the 12-month period starting in October and ending in September.
"Gross patient service revenue'', the total dollar amount of a hospital's charges for services rendered in a fiscal year.
"Health services'', medically necessary inpatient and outpatient services as mandated under Title XIX of the federal Social Security Act. Health services shall not include: (1) nonmedical services, such as social, educational and vocational services; (2) cosmetic surgery; (3) canceled or missed appointments; (4) telephone conversations and consultations; (5) court testimony; (6) research or the provision of experimental or unproven procedures including, but not limited to, treatment related to sex-reassignment surgery and pre-surgery hormone therapy; and (7) the provision of whole blood, but the administrative and processing costs associated with the provision of blood and its derivatives shall be payable.
"Managed care organization", a managed care organization, as defined in 42 CFR 438.2, and any eligible health insurance plan, as defined in section 1 of chapter 118H, that contracts with MassHealth or the commonwealth health insurance connector authority; provided, however, that "managed care organization'' shall not include a senior care organization, as defined in section 9D of chapter 118E.
"Office'', the health safety net office established under section 35.
"Payments subject to surcharge'', all amounts paid, directly or indirectly, by surcharge payors to acute hospitals for health services and ambulatory surgical centers for ambulatory surgical center services; provided, however, that "payments subject to surcharge'' shall not include: (i) payments, settlements and judgments arising out of third party liability claims for bodily injury which are paid under the terms of property or casualty insurance policies; (ii) payments made on behalf of Medicaid recipients, Medicare beneficiaries or persons enrolled in policies issued under chapter 176K or similar policies issued on a group basis; provided further, that "payments subject to surcharge'' shall include payments made by a managed care organization on behalf of: (i) Medicaid recipients under age 65; and (ii) enrollees in the commonwealth care health insurance program; and provided further, that "payments subject to surcharge'' may exclude amounts established under regulations promulgated by the division for which the costs and efficiency of billing a surcharge payor or enforcing collection of the surcharge from a surcharge payor would not be cost effective.
"Pediatric hospital'', an acute care hospital which limits services primarily to children and which qualifies as exempt from the Medicare Prospective Payment system regulations.
"Pediatric specialty unit'', a pediatric unit of an acute care hospital in which the ratio of licensed pediatric beds to total licensed hospital beds as of July 1, 1994 exceeded 0.20. In calculating that ratio, licensed pediatric beds shall include the total of all pediatric service beds, and the total of all licensed hospital beds shall include the total of all licensed acute care hospital beds, consistent with Medicare's acute care hospital reimbursement methodology as put forth in the Provider Reimbursement Manual Part 1, Section 2405.3G.
"Private sector charges'', gross patient service revenue attributable to all patients less gross patient service revenue attributable to Titles XVIII and XIX, other public-aided patients, reimbursable health services and bad debt.
"Reimbursable health services'', health services provided to uninsured and underinsured patients who are determined to be financially unable to pay for their care, in whole or part, under applicable regulations of the office; provided that the health services are services provided by acute hospitals or services provided by community health centers; and provided further, that such services shall not be eligible for reimbursement by any other public or private third-party payer.
"Resident'', a person living in the commonwealth, as defined by the office by regulation; provided, however, that such regulation shall not define as a resident a person who moved into the commonwealth for the sole purpose of securing health insurance under this chapter. Confinement of a person in a nursing home, hospital or other medical institution shall not in and of itself, suffice to qualify such person as a resident.
"Surcharge payor'', an individual or entity that pays for or arranges for the purchase of health care services provided by acute hospitals and ambulatory surgical center services provided by ambulatory surgical centers, as defined in this section; provided, however, that the term "surcharge payor'' shall include a managed care organization; and provided further, that "surcharge payor'' shall not include Title XVIII and Title XIX programs and their beneficiaries or recipients, other governmental programs of public assistance and their beneficiaries or recipients and the workers' compensation program established under chapter 152.
"Underinsured patient'', a patient whose health insurance plan or self-insurance health plan does not pay, in whole or in part, for health services that are eligible for reimbursement from the health safety net trust fund, provided that such patient meets income eligibility standards set by the office.
"Uninsured patient'', a patient who is a resident of the commonwealth, who is not covered by a health insurance plan or a self-insurance health plan and who is not eligible for a medical assistance program.
Provides for the definitions used in the statute establishing the Health Safety Net program.
M.G.L. Chapter 118G, section 34; last amended by sections 78-82 of Chapter 131 of the Acts of 2010; which was added by section 15 of Chapter 61 of the Acts of 2007, as a replacement for section 55 of Chapter 118E of the General Laws; which was added by section 30 of Chapter 58 of the Acts of 2006, and was repealed by section 39 of Chapter 61 of the Acts of 2007.