14168.34. (Added by Stats. 2011, Ch. 19, Sec. 8.)

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this article or Article 5.226 (commencing with Section 14168.1) requiring federal approvals, the department may impose and collect the quality assurance fee and may make payments under this article and Article 5.226 (commencing with Section 14168.1), including increased capitation payments, based upon receiving a letter from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services or the United States Department of Health and Human Services that indicates likely federal approval, but only if and to the extent that the letter is sufficient as set forth in subdivision (b).

(b) In order for the letter to be sufficient under this section, the director shall find that the letter meets both of the following requirements:

(1) The letter is in writing and signed by an official of the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services or an official of the United States Department of Health and Human Services.

(2) The director, after consultation with the hospital community, has determined, in the exercise of his or her sole discretion, that the letter provides a sufficient level of assurance to justify advanced implementation of the fee and payment provisions.

(c) Nothing in this section shall be construed as modifying the requirement under Section 14168.13 that payments shall be made only to the extent a sufficient amount of funds collected as the quality assurance fee are available to cover the nonfederal share of those payments.

(d) Upon notice from the federal government that final federal approval for the fee model under this article or for any payment method under Article 5.226 (commencing with Section 14168.1) has been denied, any fees collected pursuant to this section shall be refunded and any payments made pursuant to this article or Article 5.226 (commencing with Section 14168.1) shall be recouped, including, but not limited to, supplemental payments, increased capitation payments, payments to hospitals by health care plans resulting from the increased capitation payments, increased payments to mental health plans, and payments for the health care coverage of children. To the extent fees were paid by a hospital that also received payments under this section, the payments may first be recouped from fees that would otherwise be refunded to the hospital prior to the use of any other recoupment method allowed under law.

(e) Any payment made pursuant to this section shall be a conditional payment until all final federal approvals necessary to fully implement this article and Article 5.226 (commencing with Section 14168.1) have been received.

(f) The director shall have broad authority under this section to collect the quality assurance fee for an interim period after receipt of the letter described in subdivision (a) pending receipt of all necessary federal approvals. This authority shall include discretion to determine both of the following:

(1) Whether the quality assurance fee should be collected on a full or pro rata basis during the interim period.

(2) The dates on which payments of the quality assurance fee are due.

(h) This section shall be implemented only to the extent federal financial participation is not jeopardized by implementation prior to the receipt of all necessary final federal approvals.