GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
1987 SESSION
CHAPTER 861
AN ACT TO PERMIT THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES TO ACCEPT CERTAIN GRANTS.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1. The Executive Budget Act, Article 1 of Chapter 143 of the General Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to read:
"§ 143-23.2. Transfers to Department of Human Resources.-(a) Political subdivisions may appropriate funds directly to the Department of Human Resources, other public agencies and private sources may transfer funds to the Department, and the Department may accept unconditional and unrestricted donations of such funds. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Article which might forbid such transfer or donation, North Carolina Memorial Hospital may transfer funds as provided by the previous sentence of this section.
(b) Contributed funds shall be subject to the Department of Human Resources administrative control and allocated as provided in the current operations appropriations act, except such contributions shall not reduce State general revenue funding. At the end of any fiscal year, the unobligated balance of any such funds shall not revert to the General Fund, but shall be reappropriated for these purposes in the next fiscal year."
Sec. 2. Part 6 of Article 2 of Chapter 108A of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read:
"§ 108A-66. Increased per diem rate for certain hospitals serving indigent patients.-The Department of Human Resources, Division of Medical Assistance, shall develop, as part of the Medicaid Hospital Reimbursement Plan, a new method for increasing per diem rates to those hospitals serving a disproportionate share of indigent patients. This plan shall take into account the charity care provided to patients with incomes equal to or below two hundred percent (200%) of the annual federal poverty guidelines issued by the United States Department of Health and Human Services in inpatient, outpatient, pharmaceutical and pregnancy related services. The Department of Human Resources, Division of Medical Assistance, may take into account any other factors that the Department determines are related to the disproportionate distribution of indigent care."
Sec. 3. Of the funds appropriated to the Department of Human Resources, Division of Medical Assistance, five thousand dollars ($5,000) for the 1987-88 fiscal year shall be used to implement this section.
Sec. 4. Section 1 of this act shall become effective January 1, 1988. Section 2 of this act shall become effective when funds are available to implement it, except that the Department of Human Resources may prior to that date develop the method provided for by that section. The remainder of this act is effective upon ratification.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 14th day of August, 1987.