Christine Jordan Sexton
To prepare for the first meeting of the Commission on Healthcare and Hospital Funding next week in Tallahassee Gov. Rick Scott has asked Florida hospitals and HMOs for detailed financial information.
Scott asked in a letter that they detail their finances between 2006 and 2013 on a government form. He also wants data on the 10 leading inpatient, outpatient and emergency department procedures performed at their hospitals and those prices.
Scott also wants 2006 to 2014 financial information from HMOs and insurers as well the total premium collected from Medicare, Medicaid, state group health insurance, Florida Healthy Kids and private payers.
The hospitals and HMOs/insurers have been given until Monday to provide the information. The governor sent them identical letters.
“As you know, this information is even more important to have now that we are preparing for a special session to pass a budget funding only critical services to keep government operating past June 30,” Scott said in his Wednesday letter to hospitals.
The form asks hospitals to provide a broad range of financial information: total margin; total margin percent; deductions from revenue for bad debt, charity care, Medicare, Medicaid, commercial insurance; local tax revenue; taxes; licensing fees; intergovernmental transfers; total Low Income Pool funding received; foundation contributions; marketing and advertising expenses; average cost per patient per day; average cost per patient per admission; operating margin for next patient served; number of patients referred to collections; and number of lawsuits from patients referred to collections.
Hospitals also are being asked to provide information regarding their Medicaid managed care contracts including: number of plans contracted with for inpatient and outpatient care; number of enrollees in the plans; number of specialty plans; average volume-weighted inpatient rate for standard and specialty plans (as a percentage of Medicaid fee); and the average volume-weighted outpatient rate for standard and specialty plans (as a percentage of Medicaid fee).
Scott also wants information on the number of employees and the total personnel expense for executive and management, administrative salaries, and government affairs, lobbyists and legal counsel. The governor has asked hospitals to supply the highest salary as well as the total expense of executive compensation packages.
The data the hospitals provide will be reviewed by the commission at its inaugural meeting in Tallahassee next week but also posted to a website created for the commission: www.healthandhospitalcommission.com.
A similar form has been made for insurers, HMOs, and PPOs. They are being asked to provide financial data from 2006-2013 as well as information about the “book of business” including the number of insureds or enrollees, their average age, percent who are male, percent who are female.
The plans also are being asked to provide salary and benefit information about their employees including executive management. They also are being asked to provide the highest salary.
Scott appointed a commission to examine “taxpayer supported” health care entities including hospitals and health plans.
