Illinois § 45

§ 45.

Program evaluation. (a) By September 30, 2012, the Department must complete an evaluation of the Program to determine the actual savings or costs generated by the Program, both on an aggregate basis and on an LTAC hospital-specific basis. (b) The Department shall consult with qualified LTAC hospitals to determine the appropriate methodology to accurately calculate the Program's savings and costs. The calculation shall take into consideration, but shall not be limited to, the length of stay in an acute care hospital prior to transfer, the length of stay in the LTAC taking into account the acuity of the patient at the time of the LTAC admission, and admissions to the LTAC from settings other than an STAC hospital. (c) The evaluation must also determine the effects the Program has had in improving patient satisfaction and health outcomes. (d) If the evaluation indicates that the Program generates a net cost to the Department, the Department may prospectively adjust an individual hospital's LTAC supplemental per diem rate under Section 35 of this Act to establish cost neutrality. The rate adjustments applied under this subsection (d) do not need to be applied uniformly to all qualified LTAC hospitals as long as the adjustments are based on data from the evaluation on hospital-specific information. Cost neutrality under this Section means that the cost to the Department resulting from the LTAC supplemental per diem rate must not exceed the savings generated from transferring the patient from a STAC hospital. (e) The rate adjustment described in subsection (d) of this Section, if necessary, shall be applied to the LTAC supplemental per diem rate for the rate year beginning October 1, 2014. The Department may apply this rate adjustment in subsequent rate years if the conditions under subsection (d) of this Section are met. The Department must apply the rate adjustment to an individual LTAC hospital's LTAC supplemental per diem rate only in years when the Program evaluation indicates a net cost for the Department. (f) The Department may establish a shared savings program for qualified LTAC hospitals. (Source: P.A. 96-1130, eff. 7-20-10; 97-689, eff. 6-14-12.)