NRS439B.320. Hospital required to provide care for proportionate share of indigent patients; duties of Department and board of county commissioners; reimbursement for care.

      1.  A hospital shall provide, without charge, in each fiscal year, care for indigent inpatients in an amount which represents 0.6 percent of its net revenue for the hospital’s preceding fiscal year.

      2.  The Department shall compute the obligation of each hospital for care of indigent inpatients for each fiscal year based upon the net revenue of the hospital in its preceding fiscal year and shall provide this information to the board of county commissioners of the county in which the hospital is located.

      3.  The board of county commissioners shall maintain a record of discharge forms submitted by each hospital located within the county, together with the amount accruing to the hospital. The amount accruing to the hospital for the care, until the hospital has met its obligation pursuant to this section, is the highest amount the county is paying to any hospital in the county for that care. Except as otherwise provided in subsection 2 of NRS 439B.330, no payment for indigent care may be made to the hospital until the total amount so accruing to the hospital exceeds the minimum obligation of the hospital for the fiscal year, and a hospital may only receive payment from the county for indigent care provided in excess of its obligation pursuant to this section. After a hospital has met its obligation pursuant to this section, the county may reimburse the hospital for care of indigent inpatients at any rate otherwise authorized by law.

      (Added to NRS by 1987, 868; A 1991, 2111)