(

a) With the exception of clinics and hospital outpatient departments that are subject to

Section 14105.24, federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) that are receiving cost-based reimbursement under the terms of the Los Angeles County Waiver Demonstration Project on June 30, 2005, shall be required to transition to a prospective payment system (PPS) rate upon expiration of that waiver. These FQHCs shall be referred to in this

section as “Los Angeles cost-based FQHCs.” (

b) For visits occurring on or after July 1, 2005, Los Angeles cost-based FQHCs shall receive a PPS rate equivalent to the following:

(1) FQHC sites that were in existence during the FQHC’s fiscal year shall be permitted to elect their per-visit rates or the average of the and per-visit rates as reported on the cost reports submitted for those fiscal years adjusted as described in subdivision (c).

(2) FQHC sites that were first qualified as an FQHC after the site’s fiscal year shall receive a base rate equivalent to the first full fiscal year rate, as audited on the cost report submitted for that fiscal year and adjusted as described in subdivision (c).

(3) Sites that were first qualified as an FQHC after the site’s fiscal year, and that have not yet filed a cost report for their first full fiscal year shall have a rate set in accordance with subdivision (

i) of

Section 14132.100 and adjusted as described in subdivision (c). (

c) The base rates described in this

section shall be adjusted in the manner described in subdivision (d), paragraphs (1), (2), (3), and (7) of subdivision (e), and subdivision (

f) of

Section 14132.100. (

d) For Los Angeles cost-based FQHCs, as defined in subdivision (a), no new cost reports shall be required in order to claim scope-of-service changes occurring in fiscal years prior to July 1, 2005. Only the following information shall be required by the department:

(1) A description of the events triggering any applicable rate changes in the form of Worksheet of the Change in Scope-of-Service Request form developed for fiscal years and thereafter, modified to identify the applicable fiscal year in which the scope change occurred.

(2) The two worksheets to the Change in Scope-of-Service Request form summarizing the health center’s health care practitioners and services for the applicable fiscal year or years. (

e) Change in Scope-of-Service Request forms for changes occurring prior to July 1, 2005, shall be filed with the department no later than July 1, 2006, and shall be deemed to have been filed only when both the Medi-Cal cost report for the applicable period and the referenced Change in Scope-of-Service Request form worksheets have been filed with the department. The date of filing shall be the date on which either the Medi-Cal cost report or the referenced Change in Scope-of-Service Request forms are received by the department, whichever is later. (

f) Notwithstanding

Section 14132.107, the department shall calculate a tentative scope-of-service rate adjustment based on percent of the difference in the “as reported” scope-of-service per visit cost. This adjustment shall occur no later than days after receipt of the Medi-Cal cost report and the referenced Change in Scope-of-Service Request forms. Within months after receipt of request forms, the department shall complete its FQHC fiscal year audit of the Medi-Cal cost report and associated Change in Scope-of-Service Request and final rate adjustment pursuant to that audit.

The final rate adjustment will be retroactive to July 1, 2005. Nothing in this subdivision shall be construed to extend the time period for review and finalization of cost reports as set forth in

Section 14170. (

g) The department shall, by no later than March 30, 2006, promptly seek all necessary federal approvals in order to implement this section, including any amendments to the state plan. To the extent that any element or requirement of this

section is not approved, the department shall submit a request to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for any waivers that would be necessary to implement this section. (

h) Notwithstanding

Chapter 3.5 (commencing with

Section 11340) of Part of Division of Title of the Government Code, and only to the extent that all necessary federal approvals are obtained and there is an appropriation for the purposes of implementing this section, the department may implement this

section without taking any regulatory action and by means of a provider bulletin or similar instructions.