Medi-Cal: skilled nursing facilities: quality assurance fees.

Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation by the State Department of Public Health of long-term health care facilities, including skilled nursing facilities. Existing law requires the department to impose a uniform quality assurance fee on each skilled nursing facility, with certain exceptions, in accordance with a prescribed formula. The formula is based on the determination of the projected net revenues of skilled nursing facilities. The fee will cease to be assessed and collected on and after July 31, 2011. Existing law provides for the Medi-Cal program, administered by the State Department of Health Care Services, under which health care services, including nursing facility services, are provided to qualified low-income persons. Existing law authorizes the director to adopt regulations as are necessary to implement the above-described quality assurance fee. Existing law authorizes the director, as an alternative to adopting regulations, to implement the above-described provisions, in whole or in part, by means of a provider bulletin, or other similar instructions, without taking regulatory action, provided that neither the bulletin nor the other similar instructions remain in effect after July 31, 2010. This bill would permit provider bulletins or similar instructions related to exemptions from the quality assurance fee for providers of a continuum of services, including independent living services, assisted living services, and skilled nursing care on a single campus that have not received a Letter of Exemption from the State Department of Social Services, as specified, issued prior to July 31, 2010, to remain in effect after July 31, 2010. It would also authorize the director to issue new provider bulletins or similar instructions, after July 31, 2010, related to exemptions from the quality assurance fee for providers of a continuum of services, including independent living services, assisted living services, and skilled nursing care on a single campus that have not received a Letter of Exemption from the State Department of Social Services, as specified. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.