MARVIN MANDEL, Governor                                 2153

1973. The amount to be be placed on deposit with the
State Department of Health for each fiscal year will be
that amount specified for the respective political
subdivisions in estimates to be furnished to the
political subdivisions by the State Department of Health
during the month of December immediately preceding the
beginning of the fiscal year concerned. Those estimates
will be based on the same considerations as those which
are incorporated in the calculations in the Governor's
recommended budget. Following the close of the fiscal
year for which the deposit is made, the State Department
of Health shall make a final calculation of the exact
amount required for the county to satisfy the provisions
of this subsection. If that amount exceeds the amount
which the political subdivision had placed on deposit,
the additional local requirement will be reported to the
political subdivision concerned, and the political
subdivision shall appropriate and forward that amount to
the State Department of Health within eighteen (18)
months after receipt of the report. If the final
calculation shows that the amount placed on deposit was
in excess of the required amount to satisfy this
subsection, the State Department of Health will credit

the differences to each, subdivision concerned in the

estimates it forwards to each political subdivision in

December of each year, as provided at the outset of this

subsection.

(b)    These funds shall be used by the State

Department of Health solely for the purpose of
supplementing the State general funds appropriated for

hospital care___so that payments for hospital service

rendered to indigent and medically indigent patients will
be made at full current cost as determined by the
step—down accounting method in conjunction with the ratio
of charge to cost procedures as recommended by the
Maryland Legislative Council's committee on taxation and
fiscal matters.

(c)    Such federal funds as may be received by the
State, as reimbursement for payments for hospital care,
shall be accounted for in such a way that the respective
political subdivisions and the State receive the pro rata
benefit of such federal funds, to the extent that such
federal funds are not needed to defray [[20%]] 10% of the
cost of hospital care.

(d)    In order to participate in this program, each
county and Baltimore City is authorized and required to
levy such taxes as are necessary to provide for the
payments required by this subsection.

(e)    The State Board of Health and Mental Hygiene
is authorized to adopt and promulgate such rules and