H. B. 3155

         (By Delegates White and T. Campbell)

         [Introduced February 16, 2011; referred to the

         Committee on Health and Human Resources then Finance.]

A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated §9-5-21, relating to requiring the Department of Health and Human Resources to annually review the rates paid to health care providers and report it’s findings to the Legislature.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

    That the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended by adding thereto a new section, designated §9-5-21, to read as follows:

ARTICLE 5. MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS.

§9-5-21. Review of rates paid to health care providers.

    In order to provide the Legislature a better understanding of the state’s future obligations to recipients and providers of medical services for programs within the Department of Health and Human Resources, beginning in 2012 the department shall perform an annual review of rates its various programs pay to health care providers by November 1 of each year. These reviews will consider the impact rates are having on access to care, cost shift to other payors, increased inflationary pressures faced by health care providers and the state’s limited resources. Within thirty days of its completion, the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Resources shall submit a written report detailing the findings of the review and methodology used in the review to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance. The report must provide specific information on physician rates, hospital rates, nursing home rates, ambulance rates, primary care centers rates, child care rates, behavioral health rates and waiver rates. To the extent possible, the report shall also compare the rates paid by the Department of Health and Human Resources and other major payors in the state.

    NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to require the Department of Health and Human Resources to annually review rates paid to health care providers and report its findings to the Legislature.

    This section is new; therefore, it has been completely underscored.