14109.5. (Amended by Stats. 1992, Ch. 722, Sec. 108.)

Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 14109, effective January 1, 1982, the reimbursement rate for costs specified in Section 14109 for all services, including, but not limited to, hospital inpatient services, shall, to the extent feasible, not exceed the reimbursement rate for similar services established under this chapter. For purposes of this section, effective October 1, 1992, the reimbursement rates established under this chapter for hospital inpatient services shall be no greater than the amounts paid by the Medicare program for similar services. The fiscal intermediary shall expedite the implementation of any change order resulting only from this section. The department shall provide sufficient funding for any such change order to enable the fiscal intermediary to implement such change order expeditiously and to not have to divert staff or other resources from existing contract tasks, including but not limited to those resources dedicated to the implementation of all other change orders.