Hillsborough commissioners approve $359.8 million hospital-directed payment special assessment

Hillsborough County commissioners on a special morning session approved a non ad valorem special assessment totaling $359,799,513 to fund the county’s Hospital-Directed Payment Program, or DPP, a supplemental program intended to increase Medicaid managed care payments to local hospitals.

The resolution, approved by a 5-0 vote, authorizes the county to levy the assessment only on property owned or leased by assessed hospitals and to collect the amount directly by billing each affected hospital.

Kevin Wagner, Health Care Services Department, described the program during the public hearing: "This is a public hearing to consider the approval of the special assessment resolution and assessment role related to the hospital director payment program referred to as DPP." He said the DPP is "a supplemental program meant to bridge the difference between the Medicaid…