Administrative Rules of Montana › Department 37 - PUBLIC HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES › Chapter 37.40 - SENIOR AND LONG TERM CARE SERVICES › Subchapter 37.40.4 - Swing-beds › Rule 37.40.422 - DIRECT CARE AND ANCILLARY SERVICES WORKERS' WAGE REPORTING/ADDITIONAL PAYMENTS INCLUDING LUMP SUM PAYMENTS FOR DIRECT CARE AND ANCILLARY SERVICES WORKERS' WAGE AND BENEFIT INCREASES

Current through Register Vol. 13, July 5, 2024
(1)
				Effective for the calendar year January through December, swing-bed hospitals
				must report to the department actual hourly wage and benefit rates paid for all
				direct care and ancillary services workers or the lump sum amounts paid for all
				direct care and ancillary services workers that will receive the benefit of a
				direct care and ancillary workers' wage and benefit increase.
(2) The department will use the reported data
				for the purpose of comparing types and rates of payment for comparable services
				and for tracking distribution of direct care wage funds to designated
				workers.
(3) The department will
				pay Medicaid certified swing-bed hospitals located in Montana, in accordance
				with this rule, lump sum payments in addition to the reimbursement rate to be
				used only for wage and benefit increases or lump sum payments for direct care
				or ancillary services workers in swing-bed hospitals.
(a) The department will determine lump sum
				payments January 1 of the calendar year, and again six months from that date as
				a pro rata share of appropriated funds allocated for increases in direct care
				and ancillary services workers' wages and benefits or lump sum payments to
				direct care and ancillary services workers.
(b) To receive the direct care or ancillary
				services workers' lump sum payment, a swing-bed hospital must submit:
(i) a request to the department stating how
				the direct care and ancillary services workers' lump sum payment will be spent
				in the facility in compliance with all statutory requirements; and
(ii) all of the information required on a
				form developed by the department in order to continue to receive subsequent
				lump sum payment amounts for the entire rate year.
(c) The form for wage and benefit increases
				will request information including but not limited to:
(i) the number by category of each direct
				care and ancillary services workers that will receive the benefit of the
				increased funds, if these funds will be distributed in the form of a wage
				increase;
(ii) the actual per hour
				rate of pay before benefits and before the direct care wage increase has been
				implemented for each worker that will receive the benefit of the increased
				funds;
(iii) the projected per
				hour rate of pay with benefits after the direct wage increase has been
				implemented;
(iv) the number of
				workers receiving a wage or benefit increase by category of worker, effective
				date of implementation of the increase in wage and benefit; and
(v) the number of projected hours to be
				worked in the budget period.
(d) If these funds will be used for the
				purpose of providing lump sum payments such as bonuses, stipends, or other
				payment types to direct care and ancillary services workers in swing-bed
				hospitals, the form will request information including, but not limited to:
(i) the number by category of each direct
				care and ancillary services worker that will receive the benefit of the
				increased funds;
(ii) the type and
				actual amount of lump sum payment to be provided for each worker that will
				receive the benefit of the lump sum funding;
(iii) the breakdown of the lump sum payment
				by the amount that represents benefits and the direct payment to workers by
				category of worker; and
(iv) the
				effective date of implementation of the lump sum benefit.
(e) A facility that does not submit a
				qualifying request for use of the funds distributed under (2), that includes
				all of the information requested by the department, within the time established
				by the department, or a facility that does not wish to participate in this
				additional funding amount shall not be entitled to their share of the funds
				available for wage and benefit increases or lump sum payments for direct care
				and ancillary services workers.