Okla. Stat. tit. 63, § 63-3203: Purposes - Legislative findings - Continued subsidized

indigent health care - Powers of Board of Regents of University of

Oklahoma.

A. The purposes of the University Hospitals Authority Act are

to provide for an effective and efficient administration, to ensure

a dependable source of funding, and to effectuate the mission and

purposes of the University Hospitals Authority. The mission and

purposes of the University Hospitals are to serve as general

hospitals, to serve as teaching and training facilities for students

enrolled at the University of Oklahoma, to serve as a site for

conducting research by faculty members of the University of Oklahoma

and to provide care for the medically indigent. The University

Hospitals shall maintain a close affiliation with the University of

Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and shall coordinate their

operations and activities in a cooperative manner. In addition, the

University Hospitals Authority shall provide indigent and

nonindigent patient care, as more fully described herein.

B. The Legislature finds that the needs of the citizens of this

state and the needs of the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences

Center will be best served if the University Hospitals are operated

by a separate Authority charged with the mission of operating or

leasing the operations of the teaching hospitals for the benefit of

the colleges of the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center

and providing care for the medically indigent.

C. The University Hospitals Authority, by receiving the assets

and operating obligations, shall ensure that the costs of delivering

medically indigent care continue to be subsidized in excess of the

state reimbursement for the medically indigent, consistent with the

teaching hospitals' past policy and performance and that of the

University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. The Authority shall

make or cause to be made every reasonable effort to continue the

hospitals' historic commitment to the provision of uncompensated

care and that the allocation and investment of resources shall be

made with a view to maximizing the hospitals' long-term ability to

provide uncompensated care, except as may be modified by changes in

federal or state law. The University Hospitals Authority shall

ensure that indigent care provided by the Oklahoma Medical Center

during a fiscal year shall be equal to or exceed one hundred twenty

percent (120%) of the annual appropriation to the University

Hospitals Authority for indigent care. The level of indigent care

provided shall be based on Medicare costs as determined by the most

recent report filed by any operating entity of the University

Hospitals with the federal Health Care Finance Administration.

D. As used in this section, "indigent care" means charity care,

Medicaid contractual allowances, all debt arising from accounts for

which there is no third-party coverage including services provided

to the Department of Corrections and Department of Mental Health and

Substance Abuse Services as otherwise required by law. For purposes

of this subsection, third-party coverage shall not include Medicaid

coverage.

E. The Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma shall

retain full power to govern the personnel, curriculum and facilities

of the University of Oklahoma.