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House extends temporary hospital assessment for two years to shore up Medicaid funding
Summary
The House passed HB 246 to continue a temporary hospital assessment for two additional years; sponsor said the assessment generates state revenue plus about $25 million in anticipated federal matching funds and is incorporated into the Medicaid base budget. The bill passed 70–2–3 and goes to the Senate.
Representative John Veil Ballantine, sponsor of House Bill 2 46, told the House the bill "continues the temporary assessment for 2 additional years" and that the measure is necessary so Medicaid budgets can be closed for the year.
Ballantine said the fiscal note shows both the state assessment receipts and "$25,000,000 in federal matching funds." He described the assessment as an "assessment in lieu of a voluntary contribution" that was adopted two years earlier as a temporary measure and that, without continuation, the Medicaid budget would lack the appropriated funds.
During questioning Representative Davis asked whether the assessment money was intended specifically for any Medicaid expansion. Ballantine replied the dollars are part of the base Medicaid budget allocated by the Health and Human Services appropriation subcommittee and "are not additional dollars to what you already have in that committee." He said some assessment monies are forthcoming but "they are not part of these dollars."
After debate, the House conducted a by-name roll-call vote. The clerk reported HB 246 received 70 aye votes, 2 no votes, and 3 absences. The bill passed the House and was forwarded to the Senate for further consideration.
The next procedural step is Senate consideration; no amendments or conference actions were recorded on the floor during this debate.
