Uncompensated trauma care.

09LSO-0541.L2

                                                         

FISCAL NOTE

 

 

FY 2010

FY 2011

FY 2012

NON-ADMINISTRATIVE IMPACT

 

 

 

Anticipated Revenue Increase (Decrease):

 

 

 

HIGHWAY FUND

6,211,500

6,711,500

6,211,500

HIGHWAY FUND

(6,211,500)

(6,711,500)

(6,211,500)

TRAUMA CARE FUND

6,211,500

6,711,500

6,211,500

 

Source of revenue increase:  1 cent gasoline and diesel fuel taxes on all fuel sold on and off highway to the State Highway Fund, and severance tax revenue swap with the Department of Health for the Trauma Care Fund.

 

Source of revenue decrease: In kind severance tax swap to the Department of Health for the Trauma Care Fund.

 

Assumptions: 

 

The proposed language specifies that “Amounts distributed to the Uncompensated Trauma Care Account under this subsection shall not exceed the total amount otherwise distributed to the Highway Fund under paragraph (e) (iv).  Therefore, the Department of Transportation assumes tax collections will cease when the Department of Transportation's available severance has been reached.

While the proposed language establishes a threshold for the account balance of $3 million held by the Department of Health that would cause the taxes to cease, the Department of Transportation assumes that this threshold would not be met, or revenue net of expenditures from the fund would not cause the fund balance to exceed $3 million requiring the taxes to cease.

The proposed language specifies that “Amounts distributed to the Uncompensated Trauma Care Account under this subsection shall not exceed the total amount otherwise distributed to the Highway Fund under paragraph (e) (iv).  The Department of Transportation assumes that the biennial distribution amount to the Department of State Parks for $500,000 will take precedence over funds available for distribution to the Department of Health.

 

 

Expenditure increases would result from reimbursing hospitals for trauma service costs and ambulance services.

 

Currently the Department of Health is paying $2,500,000 over the biennium to hospitals and ambulance services for uncompensated trauma care costs.  The Department has received approximately $8,000,000 in claims for the first quarter of this biennium for uncompensated trauma care costs.

 

Prepared by:   Alex Kean, LSO   Phone: 777-7881

(Information provided by: Kevin Hibbard, Department of Transportation / Jim Mayberry, Department of Health Phone: 777-4026 / 777-7955)