Section 148.320  Alternatives

a)         The provisions of Sections 148.250 through 148.310 of this Part shall be in effect during the fiscal year for so long as the Director of the Department finds that:

1)         The total number of hospitals agreeing to be reimbursed pursuant to the provisions of this Part is sufficient to assure that medical assistance recipients have reasonable access to hospital services.  In making this determination, factors considered by the Department include but are not limited to service availability and the number of recipients within a geographic area, recipient travel time to obtain services, and availability of a range of services within the geographic area.

2)         The provisions are approved by the Department of Health and Human Services in the State Title XIX Plan.

3)         The Department has not been enjoined, restrained of otherwise delayed or prohibited by Court order or actions of entities other than the Department from enforcing the provisions.

b)         If any of the conditions specified above fail to occur, alternative service coverage and reimbursement limitations shall be implemented to assure that payments for hospital services during a fiscal year will be approximately the same as would have been made under this Part.

(Source:  Amended at 17 Ill. Reg. 3296, effective March 1, 1993)