MORE RECENT HCAP UPDATES

2007

9/18/2007:: A message from ODJFS:

JFS has resolved the issues which caused a large number of the HCAP payments to be made as warrants rather than EFT. This spreadsheet indicates which type of payment a hospital may expect for the payment scheduled for September 28^th. The payment types are based on the type of payment which has been received in the past. For those which indicate "EFT", no further action is required by the hospital. If the payment type is "CHK," the next HCAP payment will be a warrant.

If you would rather receive an EFT, you should first contact the JFS HCAP staff at 614.466.6420. They can check to see if an EFT option is already available for a specific hospital. If you have never had EFT and which to establish EFT payment, you should complete this form and submit it to the state. Submitting this form now, however, does not guarantee that your next HCAP payment will be by EFT. Please contact the Office of Budget and Management directly at 614.466.5670 with any questions about the form.

9/13/2007:: More on the OAKS implementation issues...ODJFS has informed OHA that due to the implementation of the new system, some EFT routing information was not transferred, and the affected hospitals had their 1st HCAP payments physically mailed to them. If your hospital has still not received its 1st HCAP payment, please check to see if it has arrived in the mail. If you do not receive the payment by tomorrow, please contact Ryan Biles at 614.221.7614.

For hospitals that would prefer to receive the 2nd HCAP payment this year via EFT, as well as all future HCAP payments, please contact Aggie Howard at the Office of Budget and Management (OBM) at 614.466.5670 to set up (or re-set up) your account information with the state.

9/7/2007:: ODJFS has just announced that the 1st HCAP distributions will not go out on Monday as scheduled. Instead, the 1st payments should reach hospitals on Tuesday. The one day delay is due to the implementation of the new Ohio Administrative Knowledge System (OAKS), and should not affect the timing of the 2nd assessment or 2nd payment.

8/23/2007:: An error involving a 2007 HCAP cost report entry for a supplemental upper payment limit payment was discovered and corrected today. The correction does not affect the assessment rate or assessment/payment schedule. However, the correction does entail an aggregate redistribution of approximately $240,000 statewide, so please check the model again for your final, final numbers. We apologize for any confusion.

8/21/2007:: The Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review (JCARR) yesterday approved the 2007 HCAP assessment rate rule, thereby setting the stage for $326.4 million in federal funding to be distributed to Ohio hospitals over the coming weeks. ODJFS has issued final assessment notices to all hospitals that participate in HCAP, including the due dates of assessments and expected payment dates. The Final 2007 HCAP Assessment and Distribution model, along with two model descriptions (first, second) and OBRA cap analysis are now available.

As in years past, ODJFS will collect assessments and return payments to hospitals in two equal installments. ODJFS requires all assessments and payments be made via electronic fund transfer (EFT). Hospitals can ensure they are set up for EFTs by contacting the Office of Budget and Management (OBM) at 614.466.5670. The dates for the assessments and distributions are as follows:

Finally, the data verification process for HCAP 2008 has already started and hospitals should soon receive a certified letter from ODJFS and OHA’s HCAP data verification package, which includes a summary of the data that will be used to determine HCAP 2008 payments. ODJFS sends letters out in batches of 10-20 hospitals, so this process will take a few months to complete. Hospitals have only 30 days from the receipt of the certified letter from ODJFS in which to correct any errors in the as-filed Medicaid cost reports.

8/20/2007:: Final assessment notices were mailed to hospitals August 16th. Please note that assessments must be remitted to ODJFS using EFTs. Checks will not be accepted, as per rule. A final distribution model will be posted shortly.

8/3/2007:: Due to the recent closures of two hospitals and the elimination of data from a hospital that closed in 2006, an updated Preliminary 2007 Assessment and Distribution Model is now available in Excel format.

Please note that the closures have caused the assessment rate to change to 1.214 percent of adjusted total facility costs (up to $216 million), and also have increased the number of "high" disproportionate share hospitals in the state to 17. These changes affect the total distributions of approximately 159 hospitals, so be sure to check the latest model for changes affecting your hospital(s).

7/27/2007:: The latest Preliminary 2007 Assessment and Distribution Model is now available in Excel format.

7/10/2007:: Yet another revised Preliminary 2007 Assessment and Distribution Model is now available in Excel format. There have been a couple data corrections since the previously released preliminary model, so please check your new preliminary HCAP assessment and distribution amounts.

Also, ODJFS is about to begin the process of sending out preliminary assessment letters to all hospitals in Ohio that must participate in HCAP. Look for those letters to arrive late this week and into early next week and compare the preliminary assessment amounts to those indicated on the preliminary model posted above. If you find any differences in the assessment amounts, please contact Ryan Biles (ryanb@ohanet.org) immediately.

6/29/2007:: A revised Preliminary 2007 Assessment and Distribution Model is now available in Excel format. Some data errors, along with some classifications of hospitals as rural and/or urban have been corrected. Please note this model is still not final, and continues to be subject to change.

6/21/2007:: Presentation slides from Tuesday's HCAP Summit at the OHA Annual Meeting are now available. Please note that the 2007 data contained in the slides is still preliminary and subject to change.

6/19/2007:: Please note a minor change to the Preliminary 2007 Assessment and Distribution Model. A closed hospital was erroneously included in the first draft model. Presentation slides from today's HCAP summit will soon be posted.

6/15/2007:: A Preliminary 2007 Assessment and Distribution Model is now available in .pdf format. The preliminary model is based upon state fiscal year (SFY) 2006 Medicaid cost report data, the updated assessment rule filed by ODJFS, and 2006 HCAP distribution policy, which will remain unchanged in 2007. As always, the preliminary model is subject to change until final assessments and payments occur, hopefully, in August and September. OHA hopes to release a model in detail very shortly.

6/12/2007/2007:: OHA anticipates that ODJFS will soon be filing the proposed rules for HCAP 2007 with the Register of Ohio. As soon as the rules are filed, we will post preliminary 2007 HCAP assessments and distributions on this site. Until then, we thank you for your continued patience.

6/8/2007:: The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services has released a tentative timeline for the 2007 HCAP assessment and distribution process. The tentative date ranges, still subject to change, are as follows:

Specific dates will be known following the release of a final timeline in coming weeks. Please stay tuned.

In other news, the OHA is proud to invite its members to its 92^nd Annual Meeting at the Easton Hilton in Columbus from June 18th to 20th. On Tuesday, June 19th from 2 to 3 pm in Regent Ballroom 2, we will hold the annual HCAP summit (free of charge to all members to attend, regardless of whether you plan to register for the rest of the Annual Meeting). The summit will include discussions of the 2007 HCAP assessment and distribution formulas, as well as offer a forum for members to ask questions of OHA staff about the program. We encourage every hospital in the state to attend this annual summit in order to stay abreast of any changes in the program, especially as they relate to your institution(s).

Finally, we hope to post a preliminary 2007 HCAP Assessment and Distribution model in the coming days. Please check this site regularly for the most current news and updates on HCAP.

2/15/2007:: OHA will host a membership meeting March 1 to discuss issues relating to the 2008 Hospital Care Assurance Program (HCAP), as well as issues relating to potential Upper Payment Limit programs designed to maximize federal Medicaid funding for Ohio’s hospitals. The meeting at Brookside Country Club in Columbus from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. will also brief attendees on OHA’s recommendations for the 2007 HCAP distribution. Member hospital CEOs and CFOs are urged to attend the meeting along with one hospital trustee. There is no charge to attend and lunch will be provided. To attend, please return the registration form as soon as possible.

1/24/2007:: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has released the 2007 Federal Poverty Guidelines. The guidelines went into effect Jan. 24, and eligibility for free care related to HCAP will begin with admissions or services delivered on or after Jan. 24. This may result in the need to split any outpatient series claim for repetitive services that crosses Jan 24. Hospitals are also reminded to update their free care notices to self-pay patients. View a related OHA member bulletin at http://www.ohanet.org/Bulletins/2007/07-004.htm (note: password protected).

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2006

12/18/2006:: 2nd installments of 2006 HCAP payments were reduced because of the failure of one hospital to pay its assessment. Every other hospital should have received 99.63 percent of its expected 2nd payment on Friday, December 15th, as a result. If ODJFS receives the missing hospital assessment, the remaining 0.37 percent of each hospital's 2nd payment will be distributed. The revised 2nd payment amounts can be found here.

11/8/2006:: The Final 2006 HCAP Assessment and Distribution Model is now available in both Excel and .pdf formats. This year’s model distributes over $545 million ($326 million in federal funds) to 194 Ohio hospitals in order to help defray losses incurred by participating in Medicaid and serving a growing number of uninsured patients. Hospitals must pay assessments (via EFT) in two installments, the first due November 13^th, in order to receive HCAP distributions. Also, please see: The 2006 Model description, the 2006 Pot by pot layout, and the 2006 OBRA Cap calculation by data component.

11/3/2006:: To confirm or change banking information on an EFT, contact the Auditor of State (614-728-7163 or at 1-800-282-0370).

11/1/2006:: Final assessment notices were sent to all hospitals on Monday. Please note that all hospitals must use electronic fund transfers (EFTs) to both pay assessments and receive distributions from the Department of Job and Family Services beginning this year. Failure to comply will result in a $1,000 per day fine until a hospital's assessment is submitted via EFT. EFT instructions are included in the final assessment notices.

10/31/2006 (Updated):: HCAP Assessment/Distribution Final Timeline Now Available
OHA has received from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services the final timeframe it will use to assess and distribute Hospital Care Assurance Program funding to hospitals:

10/17/2006:: CMS Approves HCAP Model; OHA Seeks Expedited Payment Process
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has approved the 2006 Hospital Care Assurance Program (HCAP) assessment and distribution model. With federal approval, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) can now move forward with assessing and distributing funds.

OHA met with the governor's office last week to request an emergency rule that would allow the distribution of this year's HCAP funds to hospitals more quickly than using normal rulemaking processes. Efforts to maximize the benefit of the program for hospitals resulted in delayed approval from the federal government.

The approved model will distribute over $326 million in federal funds along with over $219 million in hospital assessments to 194 hospitals in Ohio, based on state fiscal year 2005 Medicaid cost report data. To see your hospital’s updated HCAP distribution, please refer to the new 2006 Preliminary HCAP model. CMS denied the use of a 110 percent cap-multiplier for public hospitals and requested that funding be distributed based on facility costs—not paid assessment amounts—in Pot 6 of this year’s model. CMS did approve the OHA-recommended transfer from the Rural Access Pot to the Critical Access Pot to reflect the growing number of Critical Access Hospitals in the HCAP database.

Further information will be provided once OHA receives a response from the governor's office and an assessment/payment timeframe from ODJFS.

10/5/2006:: ODJFS has asked OHA to forward a reminder to its member hospitals about a Medicaid Cost Reporting issue.

The issue regards the OBRA Surveyincluded on Page 1 of the Medicaid Cost Report under “Required Filings.” Cost Report instructions clearly indicate the OBRA Survey is required to be completed and submitted with the cost report, but many Medicaid Cost Reports are being submitted to ODJFS without it.

Any Medicaid Cost Report that does not include the OBRA Survey is considered incomplete and is subject to a $1,000 per day fine, retroactive to October 1, according to OAC 5101:3-2-23. If you submitted your Medicaid Cost Report without the OBRA Survey, you can fax the survey with a signed Cost Report Certification to Kurt Brooks at 614.752.2349. ODJFS states it will begin to assess a fine on any hospital that does not submit its OBRA Survey by October 31.

If your hospital has not yet submitted its Medicaid Cost Report, it will be subject to the same fine if the OBRA Survey form is excluded. If you have already submitted the OBRA Survey please disregard this message.

9/14/2006:: Delays with the CMS approval process continue to push back the timing of the HCAP assessments and distributions. At this time, assessments and payments will most likely begin around the beginning of November. Please stay tuned to this page for updates on the final distribution model and timeline.

9/8/2006:: Discussions with CMS about this year's HCAP are still ongoing. As soon as the program receives federal approval, a timeline of assessments and payments will be released by ODJFS. At this time, the hope is that assessments and payments will take place during the month of October. Please stay tuned to this page for any update on the final timeline.

7/31/2006:: An updated, but still Preliminary 2006 Assessment and Distribution Model is now available. This new preliminary model contains some changes in hospital data from the June preliminary model, so please check your hospital's updated numbers. This model is based on ODJFS-proposed rules for the 2006 program. However, the proposed rules are still subject to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review (JCARR) approval, neither of which has yet been granted. Thus, this model is not final and is still subject to change. A tentative timeline of assessments and distributions, along with a final 2006 model, should be available as soon as CMS and JCARR approve the rules of this year's program.

7/18/2006:: OHA testified today in support of proposed rules for the 2006 Hospital Care Assurance Program (HCAP) distribution formula at a public hearing held by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS). Each year, OHA determines whether to recommend changes for the HCAP distribution to ODJFS. For 2006, the OHA Board of Trustees recommended two changes to the formula, and the proposed rules reflect those recommendations. The rules now head to the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review for final approval in August. A copy of OHA’s testimony is available here.

6/13/2006:: Presentation slides from today's HCAP Summit at the OHA Annual Meeting are now available. Please note that the 2006 data contained in the slides is still preliminary and subject to change.

6/8/2006:: A Preliminary 2006 Assessment and Distribution Model is now available in .pdf format. The preliminary model is based upon SFY 2005 Medicaid cost report data and rules ODJFS filed in clearance, though final proposed rules are expected to be filed formally very soon. The rules governing HCAP 2006 are expected to include the OHA Board recommended changes for this year's program (for more on those, please see the March 1 news update below). As always, the preliminary model is subject to change until final assessments and payments occur in August and September.

Also, OHA will be hosting a seminar on the 2006 HCAP at its Annual Meeting next week, on June 12th from 2-3 pm. Topics of discussion at the seminar include the 2006 HCAP changes and proposed changes to the Medicaid cost report. More information on attending the OHA Annual Meeting can be found here.

3/2/2006:: OHA has learned that the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services may soon propose a requirement that all Hospital Care Assurance Program (HCAP) assessments and distributions be performed through Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT). If your hospital would not be able to meet this requirement by August 2006, please contact Ryan Biles, OHA’s manager of health policy, at ryanb@ohanet.org detailing the reasons why not.

To confirm or change banking information on an EFT, contact the Auditor of State (614-728-7163 or at 1-800-282-0370).

3/1/2006:: At its most recent meeting, the OHA Board of Trustees made its final recommendations on the Hospital Care Assurance Program for 2006. Based on recommendations from the OHA Finance Committee and HCAP Task Force, the Board-approved model will continue to distribute funds using much of the same policy from 2005. However, the Board did recommend that ODJFS redistribute funds from the rural hospital pot to the critical access hospital (CAH) pot to reflect the increasing number of CAHs, and alter this year’s Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (OBRA) cap multiplier to 110 percent for public hospitals.

ODJFS plans to file rules regarding HCAP 2006 in the coming weeks. Please stay tuned for further updates.

2/3/2006:: The OHA Board's HCAP Principles, approved in August 2005, have now been added to the About HCAP page.

1/25/2006:: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has released the 2006 Federal Poverty Guidelines.

1/24/2006::A revised state “free care” rule has gone into effect for hospital services and admissions on and after Jan 1. In the updated Ohio Administrative Code 5101:3-2-07.17, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) added several clarifications to policies and procedures that are, for the most part, already in practice. The latest version is available from the ODJFS Web site at http://emanuals.odjfs.state.oh.us/emanuals/medicaid/Hospital/@Generic__BookView;cs=default;ts=default.

The changes include:

• 5101:3-2-07.17(B)(1) confirms a patient’s spouse or an under-age-18 patient’s living parents must be counted as part of the patient’s “family,” regardless of whether they live in the patient’s home. Hospitals are advised to seek income information on the absent “family” member, but to “proceed with the available income information” if necessary.
• 5101:3-2-07.17(B)(4) requires a signed application with basic data on family size and income, unless there is a documented reason the patient or a person legally authorized to speak for the patient could not sign.
• 5101:3-2-07.17(E) requires each hospital to have an internal policy that includes its procedures for taking applications, determining eligibility and verifying income — if the hospital requires verification.
• 5101:3-2-07.17(F)(2) was updated to state hospitals can not extrapolate or estimate the amount of non-hospital charges on Medicare Cost Report Schedule F entries.
• 5101:3-2-07.17(F)(4) requires hospitals to maintain the records outlined in Section F for six years from the date the HCAP payment that results from the Schedule F is received. Since HCAP payments are generally based on data that is two years old, the requirement amounts to an eight-year record retention requirement.

Keep in mind ODJFS posted its annual Final Summary Report on the Medicaid Cost Report Schedule F data submitted in 2005. The department reviews 20 to 25 hospitals each year, testing the accuracy of the Schedule F data they submit that is later used to distribute HCAP payments. As such, it is important hospitals and their outside auditors review the report and address any issues it outlines. A copy of the 2005 Final Summary Report is available at http://jfs.ohio.gov/ohp/bhpp/hcap/documents/2005HCAP.pdf.

In other news, the OHA Finance Committee, the OHA Task Force on HCAP Principles and Goals, and the OHA Board of Trustees are all working diligently to finalize recommendations for the 2006 HCAP distribution model. The Board's final recommendations will be made at its February 20th meeting.

11/7/2006:: Questions 7.10a and 7.10b added to the FAQ page.

10/31/2006:: OHA Welcomes Comments on HCAP 2006 through November

Tomorrow, OHA opens a comment period on the 2006 Hospital Care Assurance Program (HCAP) for all interested member hospital representatives. Comments and suggestions for changes to the HCAP distribution model for 2006 will be accepted from tomorrow, Nov. 1, through Nov. 30. Hospital representatives can submit comments via e-mail to OHA’s Manager of Health Policy Ryan Biles at ryanb@ohanet.org with the subject line “HCAP 2006 Comments.” Submissions will be kept strictly confidential.

10/31/2006:: OHA's comments on a CMS-proposed federal regulation on Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) payment programs now online. OHA was joined by the AHA and ODJFS in opposing this regulation. Any response we receive from CMS will be also be posted on this site.

10/10/2006:: ODJFS has announced a change in the methodology for the 2004 adjustment. Originally, the adjustment was to have been applied to the 2005 distribution in order to avoid a situation where hospitals would have to return money to ODJFS. Unfortunately, ODJFS decided that adjusting for the 2004 error in that way would not be compliant with CMS regulation. Therefore, those hospitals with negative 2004 adjustments on the FFY 2005 Final HCAP assessment and distribution model will receive their full 2005 distributions and then must return an amount equal to the 2004 adjustment to ODJFS. ODJFS has sent a letter to all affected hospitals explaining the process in more detail.

9/26/2006:: The FFY 2005 Final HCAP assessment and distribution model is now available in both Excel and .pdf formats. This year’s model distributes over $547 million ($326 million in federal funds) to 186 hospitals in order to help with the increasing amount of Medicaid losses, charity care, and care provided to the growing number of uninsured patients currently observed in Ohio hospitals. Hospitals must pay assessments in two installments, the first due October 3^rd, in order to receive HCAP distributions. Model description. Pot by pot layout. OBRA Cap by component.

Please note that an error has been discovered and corrected by ODJFS, relating to the FY 2004 model. Adjustments have been made to some hospitals' payment amounts this year in order to account for the correction. The adjustments are identified in the 2005 model posted here.

9/14/2006:: The following dates have now been confirmed. A finalized model will follow in the coming days.

9/9/2006:: There is still no update to report of regarding the dates of assessments and payments for this year's HCAP. We are still anticipating a 2-step process, with assessments and payments paid out in two installments. Also, final assessment letters have yet to be sent, so we would anticipate that the first assessment will not be expected until late September. The process should stretch into mid-October this year as a result. Thanks again for your patience.

8/18/2006:: An updated model (still preliminary) is now available in both Excel and .pdf formats. It is not anticipated that this model will change substantially, but this is still not to be considered the final model.

The 2005 final model, along with the timeline of assessments and payments, will be made available on this web page as soon as ODJFS confirms the calculations and the dates.

8/12/2006:: We are still awaiting the finalization of the 2005 HCAP model, along with the dates of assessments and payments. We appreciate your patience and hope to bring you this information as soon as possible.

In other news, OHA has begun to receive "as-filed" cost report data for the 2006 HCAP model, so please be sure to check your mail for data verification information. OHA typically receives this data in groups of 20 hospitals, so this process will take a few months.

7/11/2006:: Updated Historical OBRA Cap spreadsheet now available on the Calculations page.

6/20/2006:: Slide presentation for tomorrow's HCAP Summit along with a detailed preliminary model (in both .pdf and Excel formats) now available. ODJFS Slide presentation on Medicaid recalibration also now available.

6/17/2006:: Multiple updates to the FAQ page. The additions and changes will be discussed at next week's HCAP Summit. The updated FAQs have been labeled as 7/1/05 changes so as to coincide with the effective date of the new Medicaid Cost Report rule, which is still in the filing process.

6/13/2006:: Updated Sample HCAP Application now linked from the FAQ page. As a reminder, a properly completed and signed application similar to the sample is all that is required to determine HCAP eligibility, unless a hospital's internal policy requires additional documentation.

6/13/2006:: ODJFS has begun to distribute preliminary assessment notices to all hospitals. Please note that the assessment rate quoted in that letter has been rounded from 1.312% to 1.31%. The actual assessment rate has not been rounded or changed, so please perform any assessment verification calculations with the 1.312% assessment rate on all adjusted facility costs up to $227,370,000. The final assessment letters will have this inconsistency corrected.

6/2/2006:: Please note a change to the HCAP Summit, scheduled for June 21st. The meeting will now begin at 1:30 pm with an hour-long discussion of the revised Medicaid recalibration process. Immediately following that discussion, the HCAP portion of the meeting will begin.

6/1/2006:: Preliminary 2005 HCAP Model now posted in .pdf and Excel formats. A more detailed model will be made available at the HCAP Summit at the OHA Annual Meeting.

5/31/2006:: Registration Form for the 2005 HCAP Summit at the OHA Annual Meeting is now available. Please complete and return by June 17th. Space is limited, so only 2 representatives from each hospital are allowed to register.

5/27/2006:: A preliminary 2005 assessment and distribution model will be posted by Wednesday, June 1st. ODJFS has reported that changes have been made to the data of 23 hospitals, but OHA has not yet received these changes. The posted model will reflect the most current and, hopefully, finalized OBRA caps for each hospital along with preliminary assessment and distribution amounts.

5/5/2006:: A preliminary 2005 model will be posted soon. Your patience is appreciated.

Also, please make plans to attend the 2005 HCAP Summit at the OHA Annual Meeting, June 21st at 2:15 pm, in Columbus. The Annual Meeting will be held on both June 20th and 21st at the Hilton at Easton. More information on registering for the Annual Meeting can be found here. As in past years, hospital representatives that wish to attend only the HCAP Summit will not have to register for the Annual Meeting.

2/21/2006:: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has released the 2005 Federal Poverty Guidelines.

1/26/2006:: Board Recommends 2005 HCAP Model

At its January meeting, the OHA Board of Trustees made recommendations on a 2005 Hospital Care Assurance Program (HCAP) distribution model based on recommendations of the OHA Executive Committee and OHA Finance Committee. The Board-recommended 2005 HCAP distribution model removes ambulance and durable medical equipment costs from the assessment formula, authorizes the development of a three-tiered system for assessments, multiplies all public hospitals’ Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (OBRA) caps by 130 percent, adjusts the critical access hospital (CAH) cap upwards to $4 million, and sets a floor of $7 million for the Children’s hospitals’ pool.

OHA has shared these recommendations with ODJFS, which will file rules governing the 2005 program sometime in the coming weeks.

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2005

10/20/2005:: Second payments to all remaining hospitals will be sent out no later than this Friday, the 22nd. Those hospitals not using electronic transfer should receive their payments early next week. Thanks to everyone involved in this process for your patience. Again, we apologize for this inconvenience.

10/18/2005:: Second payments to the first group of 127 hospitals were sent out Friday. Payments to the next group of hospitals should be received today.

10/13/2005:: ODJFS has begun to redistribute the 2nd HCAP payments that were recently recalled. However, ODJFS cannot process all of the payments at once due to some accounting issues related to hang-ups in the recall process. Therefore, ODJFS has decided to start making payments to as many hospitals as possible as quickly as possible.

127 hospitals will now be re-receiving their 2nd HCAP payments October 18th at the latest. ODJFS will make new payments to the remaining 38 hospitals as funds become available. ODJFS anticipates that the remaining hospitals will receive their 2nd HCAP payments no later than the end of next week, the 22nd of October. Please continue to check back for updates on this process.

10/6/2005:: Registration form for the October 28th HCAP membership meeting at Brookside C.C. in Columbus is now available. (Directions to Brookside) This will be a meeting to discuss the formulation of the 2005 HCAP Distribution formula.

10/6/2005:: New Final 2004 HCAP distribution model is now available (Click for Excel file). This spreadsheet details what the 2nd payment amounts should be by hospital. 2004 Medicaid and Medicare HCAP slides are now available.

9/28/2005:: *UPDATE* IF YOUR HOSPITAL HAS RECEIVED ITS SECOND PAYMENT, PLEASE DO NOT REMOVE THE FUNDS FROM THE ACCOUNT IT WAS WIRED TO. ODJFS WILL BEGIN THE PROCESS OF PULLING BACK ANY DISPERSED PAYMENTS SHORTLY. THANK YOU. The second round of payments to hospitals has been delayed. An error in the database used to calculate HCAP payments has been identified and is in the process of being fixed. The payments should be delayed about 5 days. Please check back for the most recent news on the delay and for a new final model as soon as it's available.

8/25/2005:: The final 2004 HCAP distribution model is now available. Excel format. Model Description. Pot allocations. OBRA cap breakdown. Please refer to the first August 17 update below for the timetable of assessments and payments.

8/17/2005:: Deaconess Hospital in Cleveland has paid its assessments from the 2002 and 2003 HCAP programs. This has allowed Ohio to draw down the full federal allotment and ODJFS has released the additional payments to be made to all hospitals eligible for additional funds in each of the 2002 and 2003 program years. Please look at this file for payments by hospital. Payments should be arriving soon.

8/17/2005:: A final timetable for assessments and payments has been determined. Dates are as follows:

Final Assessment Notices have been sent by ODJFS to all Ohio hospitals. Please note these dates and pay promptly. Late HCAP payments can delay the operation of the HCAP distribution process.

6/17/2005:: Materials presented at the HCAP seminar this week are now online. Presentation Slides Expanded 2004 HCAP model (Excel file)

6/3/2005:: Updated Preliminary 2004 HCAP model listing OBRA caps, preliminary assessment amounts, preliminary total payment amounts, and net gains by hospital is now available. This model has not yet been finalized, so please consider this model a draft.

5/10/2005:: Registration form for the HCAP Seminar at OHA's Annual Meeting is now available. Forms may be returned by email or fax. The HCAP Seminar will include an explanation of the 2004 distribution model along with an opportunity to see the model in its preliminary, if not final, form. Please note that we will only have space for 2 representatives from each hospital or organization. Admission to the HCAP seminar does not require registration to the Annual Meeting, though it is strongly encouraged. For more info on the Annual Meeting, please visit the OHA Main Page.

4/21/2005:: A Frequently Asked Question (7.2a) has been revised.

2/17/2005:: The 2004 Federal Poverty Guidelines have been released.

1/15/2005:: Data verification sheets have been sent to approximately 60 hospitals. This data will be used in the calculation of HCAP 2004 and it is imperative to review its accuracy and submit any corrections within the 30 day resubmission period to ODJFS. Verification sheets for the other hospitals will go out within the next month. If your hospital has a negative amount listed in the HMO Medicaid Shortfall Proxy column for SFY 2003, please prepare HMO payment data, certified by your external auditor, for submission to ODJFS within the 30 day resubmission period in order to accurately reflect the HMO Shortfall in your hospital's OBRA cap.

1/8/2005:: A couple of updates: The season of data verification is fast approaching. ODJFS and OHA will begin to send out data summaries within the next month. From the receipt of the ODJFS letter, a hospital will have 30 days in which to correct any errors in its cost report. It will be posted when the first set of letters goes out.

Also, the OHA Board of Trustees will be meeting next week to discuss its recommendation for the 2004 HCAP distribution. At issue is how to adjust last year's model for a $47 million increase in federal funding. Again, an update will be posted as soon as the Board makes its recommendation.

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2004

12/4/2004:: The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services will make three supplemental Hospital Care Assurance Program (HCAP) payments to eligible hospitals over the next few weeks. These supplemental payments are a result of overpayments to hospitals in the 2000, 2001, and 2002 programs. $436,000 will be distributed on Dec. 9, $1.56 million on Dec. 16, and $1.03 million on Dec. 23. Hospitals with electronic transfer accounts will receive supplemental payments by transfer, while remaining hospitals will receive payments by mail. Hospitals that received the maximum amounts allowable in any of the three programs are not eligible for the supplemental payment from that program. Total amounts to be distributed by hospital.

11/12/2004:: OHA will be hosting a planning meeting for the 2004 Hospital Care Assurance Program (HCAP) on Dec. 11 in Columbus at Brookside County Club. A status report on federal legislation aimed to increase the 2004 allotment, a review of the 2003 model, and an open forum for HCAP questions and suggestions will be on the agenda. The goal will be to garner input from the membership on how to best construct an equitable distribution model for 2004. Two representatives from each hospital are welcome to attend this meeting. Please contact your facility's chief executive if you are interested in attending. The registration form. Directions to Brookside C.C. (If you fax the form, please fax to 614-221-4771 instead of the number listed on the form. If you have faxed your registration to the listed number, please resend to the new number. Sorry about the mix-up.)

10/7/2004:: The HCAP presentation slides for the 2003 OHA Medicare and Medicaid Seminar can now be found online. The seminar will take place tomorrow in Columbus.

10/6/2004:: A set of new frequently asked questions has been added to the FAQ page.

9/30/2004:: 2nd Payment Reduction -- The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) has informed OHA that a single hospital has failed to pay its assessment for the 2003 Hospital Care Assurance Program (HCAP). Subsequently, ODJFS cannot draw down the maximum funding for this year's program without all hospital assessments. Hospitals must pay the second installment of the HCAP assessment by tomorrow, Oct. 1, but will receive a slightly reduced payment on Oct. 15. Each hospital will receive a distribution .0886 percent less than anticipated in OHA's Final HCAP model, amounting to a total reduction of $422,872 statewide in the $480 million program. The penalty for delinquent assessment payments is $1,000 per day. If the hospital that has yet to pay eventually contributes, a supplemental distribution will occur to maximize the federal funds and make up any shortfalls created by this incident.

To clarify, the .0886 percent reduction applies to each hospital's total distribution, not the second installment amount. To calculate each hospital's reduction, reduce the total payment (not net gain) by .0886 percent and then subtract the amount of the hospital's first installment payment.

8/27/2004:: ODJFS has informed OHA that Final Assessment Notices are being mailed out to hospitals TODAY. They have also released the final timeline for the assessments and payments in the 2003 HCAP process. This year's full timeline can be found on the updated About HCAP page. The new schedule is:

8/19/2004:: The 2003 Final HCAP Model is now available. Final Assessment Notices should be mailed soon. Please check this site for the final assessment and payment schedule as soon as it is finalized. If you have trouble reading the file on your screen, you can either print it or use the zoom function. A description of the 2003 Final HCAP Model is also now available.

7/8/2004:: Frequently Asked Question 7.2 has been updated with a slightly different answer than the original. Please head over to the FAQ page for the latest.

6/18/2004:: 6 new Frequently Asked Questions have been added.

6/9/2004:: In anticipation of the HCAP Seminar at the OHA Annual Meeting, we have added a Preliminary HCAP Model that WILL change before assessments and payments are made. Also, a copy of the Presentation Slides that will be given tomorrow is now available.

5/7/2004:: The Frequently Asked Questions page has been put back online. Please note that there are new responses for two questions. Sorry for the inconvenience.

4/23/2004:: A new feature has been added to the About HCAP page. Some questions that OHA staff regularly receive in regards to HCAP have been compiled into a Frequently Asked Questions page. We will continue to augment the FAQ with new entries as the need arises. Please check out this new and informative page.

4/15/2004:: A reminder that there will be an HCAP information "seminar" on June 10th at 11 am at the OHA Annual Meeting. Preliminary models for 2003 should be available at this meeting, barring unforeseen circumstances. Registration and admission to the Annual Meeting is not required for attending the HCAP meeting. Information on the Annual Meeting can be found on OHA's homepage.

4/14/2004:: Federal Poverty Level Guidelines since 1996 now added to links.

4/8/2004:: A list of U.B. 92 codes that Ohio considers basic, hospital level services has been added to the State and Federal Law page of the About HCAP section. This list includes all hospital level services that can be written off to HCAP.

3/6/2004:: OHA Bulletin regarding the recently passed rule requiring hospitals to have a CPA validate Medicaid Cost Reports is now available.

2/28/2004:: The proposed cost report rule that includes the requirement and agreed-upon procedures for outside auditor certification of a hospital's Medicaid cost report will go into effect if passed at the March 3rd meeting of the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review. This rule will apply to cost reports with fiscal year ends in State Fiscal Year 2003 and beyond.

2/12/2004:: It's Data Validation time. OHA is receiving weekly installments of as-filed data from SFY 2002 Medicaid cost reports. When we receive your hospital's data, we will compile a summary data sheet and forward it to both the CEO and CFO of your hospital. The data sheet is accompanied by a packet of information detailing how your hospital can re-file the cost report within 30 days without penalty if a mistake is discovered in the original filing. The data from these cost reports will determine assessments and the distribution of funding in the 2003 HCAP program.

1/28/2004:: In a letter to U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert, Governor Bob Taft urged the Congress to defer reductions to Medicaid DSH. Citing the likelihood of curtailments to other parts of Ohio's Medicaid program at the State level, Taft said, "Now is the worst possible time to force reductions on Ohio's hospitals...."

1/14/2004:: Working closely with OHA, Congressman Dave Hobson (R, Springfield) and Ted Strickland (D, Portsmouth) last week sent a letter to key committee chairs calling for relief from the pending falloff in DSH funding. The bi-partisan letter was co-signed by ten other members of Ohio's congressional delegation, and urges the committee chairs to approve funding early in the 108th Congress to help shield hospitals from the cuts, estimated at $46.8 million for Ohio hospitals alone in FY 2003.

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2003

12/19/2003:: OHA will be concluding its 2002 Winter Regional Meetings today in Columbus. Thank you very much for your interest and attendance. A copy of the HCAP presentation given during these meetings can now be downloaded.

11/26/2003:: HCAP will be on the agenda for OHA's December Regional Meetings. More information can be found at the Regional Meetings homepage.

9/4/2003:: As you know, the first installment of HCAP assessments were due to the Department of Job and Family Services on August 27. Subsequently, the Department informed OHA that assessment revenues were insufficient to access the full federal draw down, hence ODJFS will be unable to make full payments to Ohio hospitals and thus have reduced total payments by 0.264125%.

Hospitals eligible for a payment will receive payments equal to 50% of the reduced total due in each payment cycle. Thus, each installment payment will be roughly equal to 49.8679% of the total distribution of each hospital listed in the 2002 HCAP final model.

Certain providers have not met their assessment obligation with regards to HCAP this year, leaving the remaining Ohio hospitals without the ability to maximize the federal draw down as of yet. Once additional funds are available, the Department will make additional payments to hospitals accordingly. Please check this website for further updates. We appreciate your patience with this process.

8/20/2003:: The Department of Job and Family Services has finalized the 2002 HCAP Distribution Model. It can be viewed on the Calculations page.

8/12/2003:: A new preliminary 2002 HCAP model has been posted to the Calculations page. It is based on new data, but has yet to be finalized. These numbers are still subject to change.

8/7/2003:: We have received the final data from the state and are currently waiting for ODJFS to finalize the 2002 HCAP distribution model. It will be posted as soon as they are relatively certain of its accuracy. In the meantime, ODJFS has released the final schedule for this year's program and it is good news. There will be two assessments and two distributions. We requested that two assessments be levied so that many of our members could meet their burdens without having to take out loans. The Department was very accommodating to that request, so we thank them for that. The schedule is:

7/25/2003:: We have concluded our Regional Meetings. We thank everyone who came out and gave us valuable input as the program heads towards next year. The 2002 Final Model will be available as soon as we get the final data.