<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>
<regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".07" citation="COMAR 10.25.10.07" title_num="10" subtitle_num="25" chapter_num="10" heading="Payments for Uncompensated Care Patients.">
  <paragraph num="A.">
    <text>A trauma physician or trauma health care practitioner:</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>Is eligible for payment from the Fund for trauma services provided to uncompensated trauma care patients with an admission date on the Maryland Trauma Registry beginning on or after July 1, 2024; and</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>May seek reimbursement in accordance with this regulation.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="B.">
    <text>The cost of uncompensated care incurred by a trauma physician or trauma health care practitioner in providing trauma care to a trauma patient as defined in this chapter shall be reimbursed at a rate of up to 100 percent of the current Medicare facility-based payment for a service in the Baltimore carrier locality area, less any amount for trauma physician or trauma health care practitioner services paid by the patient or other third-party payors including, but not limited to, auto insurance, criminal injuries compensation fund, attorneys, or collection agencies, as reported to the Fund on the uncompensated services claim.</text>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="C.">
    <text>An organization billing on behalf of trauma physicians or trauma health care practitioners eligible for uncompensated care payments shall:</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>Designate a trauma service by appropriate coding of the CPT Modifier on the electronic ANSI 837 transaction or paper CMS 1500 claim in accordance with claims submission requirements; and</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>Include the patient's trauma registry number on the electronic claim or on the CMS 1500.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="D.">
    <text>Diagnosis Code.</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>Except as provided in §D(2) of this regulation, a diagnosis code shall fall between 800.00 — 959.9.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>If a diagnosis code does not fall between 800.0 — 959.9, a supplementary classification of external causes of injury and poisoning (E800 — E999) shall appear as a secondary diagnosis code.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="E.">
    <text>To be eligible for uncompensated care differential payment described in §B of this regulation, the place of service code shall have one of the following values:</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>Appropriate code for “acute care inpatient hospital”;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>Appropriate code for “outpatient hospital”;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(3)">
      <text>Appropriate code for “emergency room”; or</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(4)">
      <text>Appropriate code for “rehabilitation hospital”.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="F.">
    <text>The uncompensated services claim shall:</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>Document uncompensated care services not previously claimed under the Fund;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>Exclude services for trauma patients who have applied for assistance through Medicaid, but who have not received a final eligibility determination;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(3)">
      <text>Exclude noncovered services that the trauma physician or trauma health care practitioner provided to trauma patients covered by health insurance;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(4)">
      <text>Exclude services for trauma patients covered by health insurance for which the trauma physician or trauma health care practitioner failed to comply with the insurer's coverage rules or claim filing requirements; and</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(5)">
      <text>Have a date of service on the claim not older than 5 years.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="G.">
    <text>Uncompensated care services are eligible for reimbursement from the Fund only after a faculty practice plan, a physician practice, a trauma center on behalf of a trauma physician or trauma health care practitioner, an individual trauma physician or an individual trauma health care practitioner has completed its collection efforts using the respective entity's documented policies and procedures.</text>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="H.">
    <text>Order of Preference.</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>To minimize administrative costs in administering the Fund, the order of preference for the entity submitting an uncompensated services claim is as follows:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Faculty practice plan;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Physician practice;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(c)">
        <text>Trauma physician;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(d)">
        <text>Individual trauma health care practitioner.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>The preference specified in §H(1) of this regulation refers to the submitting entity and not the preference for distributing payments.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="I.">
    <text>A trauma patient treated at an out-of-State pediatric trauma center that has entered into an agreement with MIEMSS shall be a Maryland resident in order for the trauma physician or trauma health care practitioner to file an uncompensated services application for an uncompensated care shortfall payment. The determination of whether a trauma patient is a Maryland resident shall be based on the trauma patient's demographic information as listed on the Maryland Trauma Registry.</text>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="J.">
    <text>The uncompensated services claim shall contain the following information:</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>The name and federal tax identification number of the trauma physician or trauma health care practitioner rendering the care;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>The date of the service;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(3)">
      <text>Appropriate codes describing the service;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(4)">
      <text>Any amount recovered for the service rendered;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(5)">
      <text>The name of the trauma patient;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(6)">
      <text>The trauma patient's Maryland Trauma Registry number;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(7)">
      <text>Date of the original trauma injury;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(8)">
      <text>The diagnosis codes that were treated;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(9)">
      <text>The procedure and service codes performed; and</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(10)">
      <text>Other information requested in the claim.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="K.">
    <text>The Commission, in consultation with the Health Services Cost Review Commission, may establish a payment rate for uncompensated care incurred by a trauma physician or trauma health care practitioner in providing trauma care to trauma patients that is above the 100 percent of Medicare payment for the service if:</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>The Commission determines that increasing the payment rate above 100 percent of the Medicare payment for the service will address an unmet need in the State trauma system;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>The source of revenue increases and the projected current uses of the Fund decline;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(3)">
      <text>The Commission considers data analyses of trauma care rendered at Maryland trauma centers for CPT codes reimbursed as uncompensated care as reported to the Maryland Medical Care Data Base; and</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(4)">
      <text>The Commission reports on its intention to increase the payment rate to the Senate Finance Committee and the House Health and Government Operations Committee, at least 60 days before any adjustment to the rate.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
</regulation>