Ala. Admin. Code r. 560-X-56-.02

Current through Register Vol. 43, No. 1, October 31, 2024

Section 560-X-56-.02 - Introduction

(1) This Chapter of the Alabama Medicaid Administrative Code has been published by the Alabama Medicaid Agency (Medicaid) to accommodate program needs and the administrative needs of FQHCs and to help ensure that the reasonable cost regulations are uniformly applied state wide without regard to where covered services are furnished.

(2) The Alabama Medicaid Program is administered by Medicaid under the direction of the Governor's Office. Reimbursement principles for FQHC's are outlined in the following sections of this Chapter. These principles, hereinafter referred to as "Medicaid Reimbursement Principles," are a combination of generally accepted accounting principles, principles included in the State Plan, Medicare (Title XVIII) Principles of Reimbursement, and principles and procedures published by Medicaid to provide reimbursement of provider costs which must be incurred by efficiently and economically operated FQHC's. These principles are not intended to be all inclusive, and additions, deletions, and changes to them will be made by Medicaid as required. Providers are urged to familiarize themselves fully with the following information, as cost reports must be submitted to Medicaid in compliance with this Chapter and other provisions of the Medicaid Administrative Code.

(3) If the Medicaid Administrative Code is silent on a given point, Medicaid will normally rely on appropriate OMB circulars (i.e., OMB A87, OMB 122, OMB 128, OMB 133), Medicare (Title XVIII) Principles of Retrospective Reimbursement and, in the event such Medicare Principles provide no guidance, Medicaid may impose other reasonability tests. The tests include, but are not limited to, such tests as:

(a) Does the cost as reported comply with generally accepted accounting principles?

(b) Is the cost reasonable on its own merit?

(c) How does the cost compare with that submitted by similarly sized centers furnishing like covered services?

(d) Is the cost related to covered services and necessary to the operation of a center?

(4) It is recognized that there are many factors involved in operating an FQHC. Costs may vary from one facility to another because of scope of services, level of care, geographical location, and utilization. Considerable effort has been made to recognize such variables during the development of this Chapter. Only reported costs reflecting such variables without exceeding the "prudent buyer" concept or other applied tests of reasonability will be allowed by Medicaid. Implicit in the intention that actual costs be paid to the extent they are reasonable, is the expectation that the center seeks to minimize its costs and that its actual costs do not exceed what a prudent and cost-conscious buyer would pay for a given item or service. If costs are determined to exceed the level that such buyers incur, in the absence of clear evidence that the higher costs were unavoidable, the excess costs are not reimbursable under the program.

(5) Records must be kept by the provider which document and justify costs, and only those costs which can be fully and properly substantiated will be allowed by Medicaid.

(6) Unallowable costs which are identified during either desk audits or field audits will be disallowed despite similar costs having been included in prior cost reports without having been disallowed.

(7) The only source of the funds expended by Medicaid is public funds, exacted from the taxpayers through state and federal taxes. Improper encroachment on these funds is an affront to the taxpayers and will be treated accordingly.

(8) To assure only necessary expenditures of public money, it will be the policy of Medicaid to:

(a) Conduct on-site audits of facilities on an unannounced basis, although prior announcement may be made at the discretion of Medicaid.

(b) Determine audit exceptions in accordance with Medicaid Reimbursement Principles.

(c) Allow only non-extravagant, reasonable, necessary and other allowable costs and demand prompt repayment of any unallowable amounts to Medicaid.

(9) In the event desk audits or field audits by Medicaid's staff reveal that providers persist in including unallowable costs in their cost reports, Medicaid may refer its findings to the Medicaid Program Integrity Division, Medicaid Legal Counsel, and/or the Alabama Attorney General.

(10) While the responsibility for establishing policies throughout the Medicaid Program rests with Medicaid, comments on the contents of this Chapter are invited and will be given full consideration.

Ala. Admin. Code r. 560-X-56-.02

Rule effective April 15, 1993. Amended: Filed November 12, 2008; effective December 17, 2008.

Author: Sandra Johnson, Associate Director, Provider Audit, Q/A Reimbursement

Statutory Authority: State Plan; Title XIX, Social Security Act, 42 C.F.R., § 405.2401 - .2429.