(a) Introduction. Beginning October 1, 2022, Public Health Provider - Charity Care Program (PHP-CCP) payments are available under this section for eligible providers to help defray the uncompensated costs of charity care. PHP-CCP payments to eligible providers for uncompensated care before October 1, 2022, are described in §355.8215 of this division (relating to the Public Health Provider - Charity Care Program (PHP-CCP)).
(b) Definitions. The following words and terms, when used in this section, have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.
  (1) Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)--The federal agency within the United States Department of Health and Human Services responsible for overseeing and directing Medicare and Medicaid, or its successor.
  (2) Charity care--Healthcare services, including behavioral health services, vaccine services, public health services, and other preventative services, provided without expectation of reimbursement to uninsured patients who meet the provider's charity-care policy. The charity-care policy should adhere to the charity-care principles of the Healthcare Financial Management Association Principles and Practices Board Statement 15 (December 2019). Charity care includes full or partial discounts given to uninsured patients who meet the provider's financial assistance policy. Charity care does not include bad debt, courtesy allowances, or discounts given to patients who do not meet the provider's charity-care policy or financial assistance policy.
  (3) Preventative services--For clients 21 years of age or older, services described in Section 9.2.56.3.2, Preventative Care Visits of the Texas Medicaid Provider Procedures Manual as of the effective date of this section. For clients birth through 20 years of age, services covered under the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT) service.
  (4) Program period--A period of time for which eligible and enrolled providers may receive the PHP-CCP amounts described in this section. Each PHP-CCP period is equal to a Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) beginning October 1 and ending September 30 of the following year.
  (5) Public health services--Services designed to protect and promote the general population's health and to prevent higher cost interventions such as hospitalizations. These services include, but are not limited to, tuberculosis identification, diagnosis, and treatment; sexually transmitted diseases identification, diagnosis, and treatment; immunization (clinical services and administration); dental care; and chronic disease screening, monitoring, and self-management.
  (6) Qualifying Providers--Publicly-owned and operated Community Mental Health Clinics (CMHCs), community centers, Local Behavioral Health Authorities (LBHAs), and Local Mental Health Authorities (LMHAs) that are established under the Texas Health & Safety Code Chapter 533 or 534 and are primarily providing behavioral health services, and publicly-owned and operated Local Health Departments (LHDs) and Public Health Districts (PHDs) that are established under the Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 121.
  (7) Total program value--The maximum amount available under PHP-CCP for a program period, as determined by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) and CMS.
  (8) Uncompensated care payments--Payments intended to defray the charity care costs as defined in paragraph (3) of this subsection.
  (9) Uncompensated care tool--A form prescribed by HHSC to identify charity care costs for Medicaid-enrolled providers and used to enroll in the program.
  (10) Uninsured patient--An individual who has no health insurance or other source of third-party coverage for the services provided. The term includes an individual enrolled in Medicaid who received services that do not meet the definition of "medical assistance" in the Social Security Act §1905(a).
  (11) Waiver--The Texas Healthcare Transformation and Quality Improvement Program Medicaid demonstration waiver under Social Security Act §1115.
(c) Participation requirements.
  (1) Qualifying provider. A provider must indicate it is a qualifying provider as defined in subsection (b) of this section to be considered for reimbursement in the application process.
  (2) PHP-CCP financial training. HHSC provides annual training to participating qualifying providers.
    (A) A PHP-CCP financial contact must attend and receive credit for training for each program period in which the provider chooses to participate. Multiple individuals from a qualifying provider may attend and receive credit for training for each program period.
    (B) Training is provided for each program period and is not retroactive. The qualifying provider must have at least one financial contact attend the annual training directly prior to the program period to participate.
    (C) A provider that does not have a trained PHP-CCP financial contact who is an employee of the provider is prohibited from submitting a PHP-CCP application. Provider-contracted vendors that have completed the PHP-CCP financial training are permitted to enter a provider's data into the cost report for any provider as a report preparer. The cost report must be certified by an employee of the provider.
  (3) Cost reports. Qualifying providers must submit an annual uncompensated care tool for charity care costs. Uncompensated care tools must be completed for a full year based on the federal fiscal year.
    (A) The uncompensated care tool format will be specified by HHSC. Qualifying providers certify through the cost report process their total actual federal and non-federal costs and expenditures for the program period. Costs must be reported in a manner that is consistent with the PHP-CCP protocol that is approved under the 1115 Waiver.
    (B) The cost report is due on or before November 14 of the year of the program period ending date and must be certified in a manner specified by HHSC.
      (i) If November 14 falls on a federal or state holiday or weekend, the due date is the first working day after November 14.
      (ii) A provider whose cost report is not received by the due date is ineligible for PHP-CCP payment for the federal fiscal year.
    (C) HHSC reserves the right to request a corrective action plan (CAP) from providers who submit incorrect cost reports or bill incorrectly. PHP-CCP payments will be withheld until the CAP is accepted by HHSC.
    (D) Costs for care delivered to persons who are incarcerated at the time of the care must be excluded from the cost report.
    (E) Costs for care delivered as part of an Institution of Mental Disease (IMD) must be excluded from the cost report. If a provider includes costs for Crisis Stabilization Units on their cost report, and the unit is later determined by CMS to be an IMD, associated PHP-CCP payments are subject to recoupment.
  (4) Certification. The provider must certify, on a form prescribed by HHSC, that no part of any PHP-CCP payment will be used to pay a contingent fee and that the entity's agreement with a billing entity or cost report preparer does not use a reimbursement methodology that contains any type of incentive, directly or indirectly, for inappropriately inflating, in any way, claims billed to the Medicaid program, including the provider's PHP-CCP funds. The certification must be received by HHSC with the enrollment application described in paragraph (3) of this subsection.
(d) Source of funding. The non-federal share of funding for payments under this section is limited to certified public expenditures from governmental entities.
(e) Payment frequency. HHSC will distribute uncompensated care payments on a schedule to be determined by HHSC and posted on HHSC's website.
(f) Calculation of supplemental payment.
  (1) Supplemental payment. A qualifying provider may be eligible to receive a supplemental payment equal to a percentage of its charity care costs for the cost reporting period.
  (2) Funding limitations. Payments made under this section are limited by the amount of funds allocated to the total program value for the demonstration year. If payments for charity care for the provider pool attributable to a demonstration year are expected to exceed the amount of funds allocated to that pool by HHSC for that demonstration year, HHSC will reduce payments to providers in the pool by the same percentage as required to remain within the pool allocation amount.
(g) Recoupment.
  (1) Overpayment or disallowance. In the event of an overpayment identified by HHSC or a disallowance by CMS of federal financial participation related to a provider's receipt or use of payments under this section, HHSC may recoup an amount equivalent to the amount of the overpayment or disallowance.
Cont'd...