AB 639

This bill requires the Department of Health Services to provide, as a pilot

project, to hospitals located in Barron, Burnett, Dunn, Pierce, Polk, St. Croix, and

Washburn Counties reimbursement for housing patients for purposes of emergency

detention in an amount determined by DHS up to 80 percent of the difference

between the hospital's average cost per bed per day and the average rate received per

bed per day calculated by averaging the rate received under Medicare, Medical

Assistance, and other insurance. County health departments must cover the

remaining portion of each hospital's reimbursement. In order to qualify for the pilot

program reimbursement, each participating hospital must report to the county

health department its average cost per bed per day and the average rate per bed per

day. Each county health department receiving that information from hospitals shall

collect the information and then submit it to DHS. The bill also provides that

hospitals are not required to participate in the pilot program; a hospital located in

any of the participating counties may opt out of the program and will not be required,

for purposes of the pilot program, to provide the cost or rate information to the county

health department. Under the bill, only hospital services provided on or after July

1, 2021, are eligible for reimbursement through the pilot program.