Colorado § 10-16-318 - Prospective reimbursement.

§ 10-16-318. Prospective reimbursement.

(1) No corporation subject to the provisions of part 1 of this article and this part 3 which provides a service contract as distinguished from a fixed dollar benefit contract shall provide reimbursement for the rendering of hospital care, medical-surgical care, or other health services on behalf of any of its members or subscribers with hospitals except by contract which provides for reimbursement on a prospective reimbursement basis. As used in this part 3, "prospective reimbursement" means a method of reimbursement whereby the purveyor of health services is reimbursed by each corporation subject to part 1 of this article and this part 3 for such services according to a schedule of rates, determined and agreed upon prior to the rendering of the services by both the purveyor of health services and each corporation subject to the provisions of part 1 of this article and this part 3. Such rates are to remain in force during the term of the contract or for one calendar year if a contract has a longer term, except as adjusted as provided in this section.

(2) (a) The bases for the prospective reimbursement rates shall be:

(I) Determined mutually by the corporation and the hospital using established accounting principles and regulations utilized in the health-care industry for the determination of reimbursement to purveyors. Historic expenses may be one of the bases for reimbursement but not the sole basis.

(II) Supported by current and predicted costs derived through an appropriate budget and accounting system of the hospital, which budget and accounting system shall be available for discussion in detail with the corporation.

(b) The hospitals' operating requirements and the services offered, geographical characteristics, and the changes in price level indices may be included in the bases for prospective reimbursement.

(c) All such contracts shall be, if deemed necessary and only after the parties have exhausted all other efforts, subject to arbitration by the commissioner under the rules and regulations established by such commissioner.

(3) In order to provide incentives for the efficient and economical utilization of purveyor resources, the reimbursement rate agreed upon by the purveyor and the corporation subject to part 1 of this article and this part 3 shall be neither retroactively increased to reflect unforeseen patient costs nor retroactively decreased as a result of efficient purveyor operation. However, gains accruing to the purveyor as a result of a modification of those patient services, of operating requirements, or of changes in price level indices which were included in the bases for the setting of the prospective rate will be subject to downward adjustment.

(4) Provision shall be made between corporations subject to part 1 of this article and this part 3 and the purveyor of health-care services for a mechanism to determine adjustments of prospectively determined rates. Such adjustments will occur when major events that have a fiscal impact occur which were unpredictable or were uncontrollable by the purveyor of health-care services and which would require a rate change to meet the financial requirements of the purveyor of health-care services.

(5) Corporations subject to part 1 of this article and this part 3 shall not pay more for purveyor's services than will be charged to commercial insurers.

(6) Each corporation subject to the provisions of part 1 of this article and this part 3 shall provide the commissioner with a copy of each contract entered into under this section, within thirty days after such contract is entered into, and such other information as the commissioner deems necessary by rule.

Source: L. 92: Entire article R&RE, p. 1691, § 1, effective July 1. L. 96: (6) amended, p. 1230, § 53, effective August 7.

Editor's note: This section is similar to former § 10-16-130 as it existed prior to 1992.

Cross references: For the legislative declaration contained in the 1996 act amending subsection (6), see section 1 of chapter 237, Session Laws of Colorado 1996.