Maryland Health - General Section 19-214

      (a)      The Commission shall assess the underlying causes of hospital uncompensated care and make recommendations to the General Assembly on the most appropriate alternatives to:

            (1)      Reduce uncompensated care; and

            (2)      Assure the integrity of the payment system.

      (b)      The Commission may adopt regulations establishing alternative methods for financing the reasonable total costs of hospital uncompensated care provided that the alternative methods:

            (1)      Are in the public interest;

            (2)      Will equitably distribute the reasonable costs of uncompensated care;

            (3)      Will fairly determine the cost of reasonable uncompensated care included in hospital rates;

            (4)      Will continue incentives for hospitals to adopt efficient and effective credit and collection policies; and

            (5)      Will not result in significantly increasing costs to Medicare or the loss of Maryland's Medicare Waiver under § 1814(b) of the Social Security Act.

      (c)      Any funds generated through hospital rates under an alternative method adopted by the Commission in accordance with subsection (b) of this section may only be used to finance the delivery of hospital uncompensated care.