14169.58. (Amended by Stats. 2014, Ch. 442, Sec. 31.)

(a) (1) For the first program period, designated public hospitals shall be paid direct grants in support of health care expenditures, which shall not constitute Medi-Cal payments, and which shall be funded by the quality assurance fee set forth in this article. For the first program period, the aggregate amount of the grants to designated public hospitals funded by the quality assurance fee set forth in this article shall be forty-five million dollars ($45,000,000) in the aggregate for the two subject fiscal quarters in the 2013–14 subject fiscal year, ninety-three million dollars ($93,000,000) for the 2014–15 subject fiscal year, one hundred ten million five hundred thousand dollars ($110,500,000) for the 2015–16 subject fiscal year, and sixty-two million five hundred thousand dollars ($62,500,000) in the aggregate for the two subject fiscal quarters in the 2016–17 subject fiscal year.

(2) (A) Of the direct grant amounts set forth in paragraph (1), the director shall allocate twenty-four million five hundred thousand dollars ($24,500,000) in the aggregate for the two subject fiscal quarters in the 2013–14 subject fiscal year, fifty million five hundred thousand dollars ($50,500,000) for the 2014–15 subject fiscal year, sixty million five hundred thousand dollars ($60,500,000) for the 2015–16 subject fiscal year, and thirty-four million five hundred thousand dollars ($34,500,000) in the aggregate for the two subject fiscal quarters in the 2016–17 subject fiscal year among the designated public hospitals pursuant to a methodology developed in consultation with the designated public hospitals.

(B) Of the direct grant amounts set forth in subparagraph (A), the director shall distribute six million one hundred twenty-five thousand dollars ($6,125,000) for each subject fiscal quarter in the 2013–14 subject fiscal year, six million three hundred twelve thousand five hundred dollars ($6,312,500) for each subject fiscal quarter in the 2014–15 subject fiscal year, seven million five hundred sixty-two thousand five hundred dollars ($7,562,500) for each subject fiscal quarter in the 2015–16 subject fiscal year, and eight million six hundred twenty-five thousand dollars ($8,625,000) for each subject fiscal quarter in the 2016–17 subject fiscal year in accordance with the timeframes specified in subdivision (a) of Section 14169.66.

(C) Of the direct grant amounts set forth in subparagraph (A), the director shall distribute six million one hundred twenty-five thousand dollars ($6,125,000) for each subject fiscal quarter in the 2013–14 subject fiscal year, six million three hundred twelve thousand five hundred dollars ($6,312,500) for each subject fiscal quarter in the 2014–15 subject fiscal year, seven million five hundred sixty-two thousand five hundred dollars ($7,562,500) for each subject fiscal quarter in the 2015–16 subject fiscal year, and eight million six hundred twenty-five thousand dollars ($8,625,000) for each subject fiscal quarter in the 2016–17 subject fiscal year only upon 100 percent of the rate range increases being distributed to managed health care plans pursuant to subparagraph (D) for the respective subject fiscal quarter. If the rate range increases pursuant to subparagraph (D) are distributed to managed health care plans, the direct grant amounts described in this subparagraph shall be distributed to designated public hospitals no later than 30 days after the rate range increases have been distributed to managed health care plans pursuant to subparagraph (D).

(D) Of the direct grant amounts set forth in paragraph (1), twenty million five hundred thousand dollars ($20,500,000) in the aggregate for the two subject fiscal quarters in the 2013–14 subject fiscal year, forty-two million five hundred thousand dollars ($42,500,000) for the 2014–15 subject fiscal year, fifty million dollars ($50,000,000) for the 2015–16 subject fiscal year, and twenty-eight million dollars ($28,000,000) in the aggregate for the two subject fiscal quarters in the 2016–17 subject fiscal year shall be withheld from payment to the designated public hospitals by the director, and shall be used as the nonfederal share for rate range increases, as defined in paragraph (4) of subdivision (b) of Section 14301.4, to risk-based payments to managed care health plans that contract with the department to serve counties where a designated public hospital is located. The rate range increases shall apply to managed care rates for beneficiaries other than newly eligible beneficiaries, as defined in subdivision (s) of Section 17612.2, and shall enable plans to compensate hospitals for Medi-Cal health services and to support the Medi-Cal program. Each managed health care plan shall expend 100 percent of the rate range increases on hospital services within 30 days of receiving the increased payments. Rate range increases funded under this subparagraph shall be allocated among plans pursuant to a methodology developed in consultation with the hospital community.

(3) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any amounts withheld from payment to the designated public hospitals by the director as the nonfederal share for rate range increases, including those described in subparagraph (D) of paragraph (2), shall not be considered hospital fee direct grants as defined under subdivision (k) of Section 17612.2 and shall not be included in the determination under paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Section 17612.3.