Establishes a community stability assessment for limited service hospitals in rural counties and creates a rural safety net fund.

The bill creates a community stability assessment for limited service hospitals in rural counties, defined as those with a population under 500,000. These hospitals must pay an assessment equal to four percent of their net patient revenue, collected by the Arizona Department of Health Services and deposited into the rural safety net fund. The fund, administered by the department, is exempt from lapsing appropriations. Monies in the fund are segregated by county and can only be distributed to eligible hospitals within that county.

Establishes a community stability assessment for limited service hospitals in rural counties and creates a rural safety net fund.

The bill creates a community stability assessment for limited service hospitals in rural counties, defined as those with a population under 500,000. These hospitals must pay an assessment equal to four percent of their net patient revenue, collected by the Arizona Department of Health Services and deposited into the rural safety net fund. The fund, administered by the department, is exempt from lapsing appropriations. Monies in the fund are segregated by county and can only be distributed to eligible hospitals within that county.