Alabama § 45-49-171.41 - Mobile County Indigent Care Board Authorized.

§ 45-49-171.41. Mobile County Indigent Care Board Authorized.

At the determination of the county commission, there may be hereby established the Mobile County Indigent Care Board, hereinafter referred to as the board, whose composition and duties shall be as follows:

(1) The county commission may appoint a Mobile County Indigent Care Board which shall consist of three members who are duly qualified electors of Mobile County, but no member of such board shall be employed by any hospital. Of the members of the board first appointed under this section, one shall be appointed for a term of one year, one shall be appointed for a term of three years, and one shall be appointed for a term of five years. Thereafter, their successors shall be appointed for terms of five years and may be appointed to succeed themselves as members of the board. The county commission shall appoint all members to the board. In the event the county commission does not appoint the board, the duties and responsibilities of the board herein shall be carried out by the county commission. Members of the board shall serve without compensation.

(2) The board shall meet monthly at a public place within Mobile County to certify accounts presented to the board by providers of medical care who are providing medical care to medically indigent citizens of Mobile County and to make recommendations for payments from the board’s account or accounts to such providers of medical care by the county commission. The board shall be empowered to employ appropriate personnel, for the purpose of maintaining the board’s records and account or accounts or the county commission may provide such personnel for the purpose of maintaining the board’s records and account or accounts and shall be empowered to expend revenues in its account or accounts to carry out the several provisions of this subpart. The board may contract with the State Department of Human Resources for the purposes of evaluating and certifying persons as being medically indigent according to guidelines established by the board. The board shall recommend to the county commission at each regular meeting of the county commission reimbursement to be paid to providers of medical care to the medically indigent of Mobile County at an amount equal to the reasonable cost of the services rendered by the provider. It shall be the responsibility of the providers of medical care to verify and furnish appropriate materials for the board to certify the accounts presented. Provided, however, notwithstanding any part herein to the contrary, providers of medical care shall be reimbursed only for that part of unreimbursed care which exceeds six percent of that provider’s gross billings for the current fiscal year. Unreimbursed care shall not include amounts for contractual adjustments, discounts, or amounts required to be provided under Hill-Burton or other funds supporting indigent care from any other sources. A hospital shall be reimbursed for providing hospital care to a medically indigent person at a rate equal to the average of Mobile County, Alabama, hospital’s Medicare costs determined by the annual Medicare cost reports of the hospitals. Reimbursements by the board shall not include any payment for physician services. The board shall require a copy of a certified audit without qualification of any provider and, if applicable, its parent organization, applying for reimbursement by the board and the cost of such audit shall be the burden of the provider. During the first fiscal year in which this subpart becomes effective, specifically October 1, 1982, through September 30, 1983, the reasonable costs of services to the medically indigent, which services are rendered during that fiscal year, shall be eligible for reimbursement to the provider pursuant to this subpart.