Exempts specialty heart hospital from 0.53 percent hospital assessment under certain circumstances.

This bill exempts specialty heart hospitals from a 0.53% assessment on their total operating revenue if they certify to the Department of Health and the Department of Banking and Insurance that they do not bill patients directly for care. Specialty heart hospitals meeting this condition would no longer pay the assessment, while general hospitals remain subject to it. The assessment funds currently support programs like federally qualified health centers serving uninsured patients, infant mortality reduction, and primary care loan programs. The exemption applies only to specialty heart hospitals that waive direct patient billing, without altering other assessment requirements.