Louisiana Revised Statutes Tit. 40, § 2120.7. Fees on home- and community-based service providers; disposition of fees

A. (1) The department is hereby authorized to adopt and impose fees for home- and community-based services on every home- and community-based service provider and to adopt rules and regulations relative to the imposition of such fees. The amount of any fee shall not exceed the total cost to the state of providing the service subject to such fee. In addition, the amount of the fees imposed shall not exceed six percent of the gross revenues of such agency or program.

(2) Any fee authorized by and imposed pursuant to this Section shall be considered an allowable cost for purposes of insurance or other third-party reimbursements and shall be included in the establishment of reimbursement rates.

(3) All fees collected pursuant to this Section shall be paid into the state treasury and after compliance with Article VII, Section 9(B) of the Constitution of Louisiana, relative to the Bond Security and Redemption Fund, shall be deposited into the state general fund.

(4) The department shall not impose, adopt, or collect any fee authorized under the provisions of this Section until written approval is received from the secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services that home- and community-based service providers may be considered a “class of providers” for the purposes of 42 CFR 433.56.

B. (1) The department is hereby authorized and directed to adopt and promulgate, pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act, such rules and regulations as are necessary to administer the fees imposed pursuant to this Section, including but not limited to rules and regulations regarding the collection and payment of the fees and the records necessary to be maintained and made available by the providers on whom the fees are imposed. Any such information, other than the amount of fees collected from each provider and the total amount of revenues generated by the fees collected pursuant to this Section, which is received by any department or agency of the state pursuant to this Part, shall be held confidential.

(2) The department is authorized and directed to adopt and promulgate, pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act, rules and regulations governing the rights and obligations of those on whom said fees will be imposed. Such rules and regulations shall include the administrative appeal rights and procedures governing disputes arising out of the collection or administration of the fees authorized pursuant to this Section. The department is authorized to collect the fees permitted pursuant to this Section by withholding all or part of a provider's regular Medicaid remittance.