<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>
<subtitle article="ghg" title_number="15" subtitle_number="7" title_name="Assistance Programs" subtitle_name="Health Care Coverage Fund">
  <section article="ghg" article_name="Health - General" number="15-701" title_number="15" title_name="Assistance Programs" subtitle_number="7" subtitle_name="Health Care Coverage Fund">
    <level label="a">
      <text>In this subtitle, “Fund” means the Health Care Coverage Fund.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="b">
      <text>There is a Health Care Coverage Fund.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="c">
      <text>The purpose of the Fund is to:</text>
      <level label="1">
        <text>Support health care coverage for individuals and families with low or moderate income; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="2">
        <text>Subject to subsection (i) of this section, support the provision of health care services in Prince George’s County.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="d">
      <text>The Department and the Maryland Health Care Commission shall administer the Fund.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="e">
      <level label="1">
        <text>The Fund is a special, nonlapsing fund that is not subject to § 7–302 of the State Finance and Procurement Article.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="2">
        <text>The Treasurer shall hold the Fund separately, and the Comptroller shall account for the Fund.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="f">
      <text>The Fund consists of:</text>
      <level label="1">
        <text>Money collected from any assessment by the State Health Services Cost Review Commission on hospitals under § 19–214(d) of this article;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="2">
        <text>Any money made available from investment earnings; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="3">
        <text>Any other money from any other source accepted for the benefit of the Fund.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="g">
      <level label="1">
        <text>The Fund shall be invested and reinvested in the same manner as other State funds.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="2">
        <text>Any investment earnings shall be credited to the Fund.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="h">
      <text>The Fund may be used only for expenses associated with:</text>
      <level label="1">
        <text>Expanding Medicaid eligibility for parents and caretaker relatives:</text>
        <level label="i">
          <text>Who have a dependent child living with them; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="ii">
          <text>Whose annual household income is at or below 116% of the federal poverty guidelines;</text>
        </level>
      </level>
      <level label="2">
        <text>Expanding Medicaid eligibility and benefits for individuals:</text>
        <level label="i">
          <text>Who do not meet requirements, such as age, disability, or parent or caretaker relative of a dependent child, for a federal category of eligibility for Medicaid;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="ii">
          <text>Whose annual household income is at or below 116% of the federal poverty guidelines; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="iii">
          <text>Who are not enrolled in the federal Medicare program, as enacted by Title XVIII of the Social Security Act; and</text>
        </level>
      </level>
      <level label="3">
        <text>Supporting the provision of health care services in Prince George’s County in accordance with subsection (i) of this section.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="i">
      <level label="1">
        <text>Subject to paragraph (2) of this subsection, in fiscal year 2010, $12,000,000, and in fiscal years 2011 through 2013, up to $10,000,000 may be transferred annually from the Fund to the Department for the purpose of providing a special fund operating grant to an independent entity with authority over the facilities currently operated and health care services currently provided by Dimensions Healthcare System until the facilities and obligation to provide the services are transferred to a new owner or operator.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="2">
        <text>The Department may not provide a special fund operating grant until a long–term, comprehensive solution to the control and operation of the facilities and provision of health care services currently operated and provided by Dimensions Healthcare System is reached through:</text>
        <level label="i">
          <text>An Act of the General Assembly; or</text>
        </level>
        <level label="ii">
          <text>A memorandum of understanding between the State and Prince George’s County.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
      <level label="3">
        <text>The long–term, comprehensive solution under paragraph (2) of this subsection shall address issues related to health care needs in Prince George’s County and the surrounding region, including:</text>
        <level label="i">
          <text>The transfer to a new owner or operator of the facilities currently operated and the obligation to provide the health care services currently provided by Dimensions Healthcare System;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="ii">
          <text>A plan for the assets currently held by Prince George’s County related to the facilities currently operated by Dimensions Healthcare System;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="iii">
          <text>A mechanism to provide a steady revenue stream to help support ongoing operations of the facilities currently operated by Dimensions Healthcare System and to retire the long–term bond indebtedness and satisfy the unfunded pension liability of Dimensions Healthcare System; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="iv">
          <text>A mechanism to assure equitable and sustainable funding from Prince George’s County and the State.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
      <level label="4">
        <text>Money collected from an assessment by the State Health Services Cost Review Commission on hospitals may not be used for the purpose of this subsection.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="j">
      <text>Expenditures from the Fund may be made only in accordance with the State budget.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="k">
      <text>Money from the Fund shall supplement and may not supplant funding for the Maryland Medical Assistance Program.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="l">
      <text>The Fund is subject to audit by the Office of Legislative Audits.</text>
    </level>
  </section>
  <section article="ghg" article_name="Health - General" number="15-702" title_number="15" title_name="Assistance Programs" subtitle_number="7" subtitle_name="Health Care Coverage Fund">
    <level label="a">
      <text>The Department shall ensure that publicly owned specialty hospitals pay an assessment that is comparable to any uniform assessments imposed by the Health Services Cost Review Commission on specialty hospitals under § 19–214(d) of this article or under Section 16 of Chapter 397 (H.B. 72) of the Acts of the General Assembly of 2011.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="b">
      <text>Revenues generated from any assessments authorized under subsection (a) of this section shall be used for the general operations of the Medicaid program.</text>
    </level>
  </section>
</subtitle>