the facility shall receive payment for each day that the Program recipient is absent and
a bed is reserved and made available for the return of that Program recipient.

(c) (1) Payments under subsection (b)(2) of this section may not be made for
more than 15 days for any single hospital stay.

(2) (i) Payments under subsection (b)(3) of this section may not be
made for more than 18 days in any calendar year.

(ii) Notwithstanding any rule or regulation, a leave of absence is not
subject to any requirement that it may not exceed a particular number of days a visit,
except that the leave of absence may not exceed a total of 18 days during any
[12-month period] CALENDAR YEAR.

(d) (1) Payments required under this section shall be made according to the
per diem payment procedures that the Department sets [and may not be less than the
per diem payments made to the nursing facility for days when the Program recipient is
present in the facility].

(2) PAYMENTS REQUIRED UNDER THIS SECTION MAY NOT INCLUDE
PAYMENT FOR NURSING SERVICES.

(e) A nursing facility may not make additional charges against a Program
recipient because the Program recipient is absent temporarily from the nursing facility.

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That the Laws of Maryland
read as follows:

Article - Health - General

19-1501.

(a) In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated.

(b) " Commission" means the Maryland Health Care Access and Cost
Commission.

(c) " Comprehensive standard health benefit plan" means the comprehensive
standard health benefit plan adopted in accordance with § 15-1207 of the Insurance
Article.

(d) (1) " Health care provider" means:

(i) A person who is licensed, certified, or otherwise authorized
under the Health Occupations Article to provide health care in the ordinary course of
business or practice of a profession or in an approved education or training program;
or

(ii) A facility where health care is provided to patients or recipients,
including a facility as defined in § 10-101(e) of this article, a hospital as defined in §
19-301(f) of this article, a related institution as defined in § 19-301(n) of this article,
a health maintenance organization as defined in § 19-701(e) of this article, an
outpatient clinic, and a medical laboratory.