Smith County approves 6% private hospital fee to help secure federal Medicaid dollars

The Smith County Commissioners Court unanimously approved to collect a mandatory fee from local private hospitals for Fiscal Year 2027 to help draw down federal Medicaid funding. Commissioners Christina Drewry and John Moore were absent from the meeting. Mary Elizabeth Jackson, an employee from Christus Health and representing the presenting law firm, said under the Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 291A, Smith County can legally set up a Local Provider Participation Fund (LPPF), which acts as a local tax to only private providers without utilizing taxpayer money. “(These are) some new amendments to some rules that we have for how we’re going to operate,” Jackson said.

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