SUBJECT
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Public Hearing to consider adoption of an ordinance amending Polk County Ordinance 2022-029, the Polk County Local Provider Participation Fund Ordinance (no fiscal impact).
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DESCRIPTION
On May 3, 2022, the Board adopted Ordinance No. 2022-029, the Polk County Local Provider Participation Fund (LPPF) Ordinance (the "Ordinance"), enabling the County to levy a uniform non-ad valorem special assessment to establish and maintain a system of funding through intergovernmental transfers to support the non-federal share of Medicaid payments, thus directly and specially benefitting Hospital properties providing health care services to Medicaid, indigent, and uninsured patients of the Polk County community.
Under the Ordinance, all participating hospitals are required to sign a prescribed Hold Harmless and Indemnification ("HHI") form whereby each hospital waives any challenge to the procedure or authority of the County to levy or collect an assessment under the LPPF program, and indemnifies and holds the County harmless from any such claims brought by any person, entity or government agency, in proportion to the assessment amount paid by each hospital during the year(s) subject to said claim.
Because the benefit received by each hospital under the LPPF program is directly related and proportionate to the volume of health care services it provides to Medicaid, indigent and uninsured patients, the County recognizes certain hospitals, while still required to participate, have a lower stake in the program. The proposed amending ordinance reduces the number of hospitals required to execute an HHI to those Hospitals which are collectively responsible for seventy-five percent (75%) or more of the total Assessment amount imposed by the County on all Assessed Properties in any given year. This modification allows hospitals who are not significantly impacted by the LPPF program to abstain from executing an HHI, while also maintaining the validity of the spec...
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