Florida's model of nursing home Medicaid reimbursement for disaster-related expenses.
OBJECTIVE
This study describes Florida's model of Medicaid nursing home (NH) reimbursement to compensate NHs for disaster-related expenses incurred as a result of 8 hurricanes within a 2-year period. This Florida model can serve as a demonstration for a national model for disaster-related reimbursement.


METHODS
Florida reimburses NHs for approved disaster-related costs through hurricane interim rate requests (IRRs). The state developed its unique Medicaid per diem rate temporary add-on by adapting its standard rate-setting reimbursement methodology. To understand the payment mechanisms and the costs that facilities incurred as a result of natural disasters, we examined the IRRs and cost reports for facilities requesting and receiving reimbursement.


RESULTS
Cost reports and IRR applications indicated that Florida Medicaid spent close to $16 million to pay for hurricane-related costs to NHs.


CONCLUSIONS
Without Florida's Hurricane IRR program, many facilities would have not been reimbursed for their hurricane-related costs. Florida's model is one that Medicare and other states should consider adopting to ensure that NHs receive adequate reimbursement for disaster-related expenses, including tornadoes, earthquakes, floods, blizzards, and other catastrophic events.
Thomas
Kali S
KS
Florida Policy Exchange Center on Aging, School of Aging Studies, University of South Florida, 13301 Bruce B Downs Blvd, MHC 1300, Tampa, FL 33612, USA. kthomas@bcs.usf.edu
Hyer
Kathryn
K
Brown
Lisa M
LM
Polivka-West
LuMarie
L
Branch
Laurence G
LG
D055867:Cyclonic Storms / Q000191:economics*; D004190:Disasters / Q000191:economics; D005431:Florida; D008484:Medicaid / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017146:Models, Organizational; D009735:Nursing Homes / Q000191:economics*; D012051:Reimbursement Mechanisms; D014481:United States