Skilled Nursing Facilities
Assembly Bill (AB) 1629 enacted the Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Quality Assurance Fee (QAF) program and the Medi-Cal Long Term Care Reimbursement Act. This assembly bill modified the method and rate of reimbursement to facilities for providing long term care skilled nursing services to Medi-Cal beneficiaries. The QAF is based on an annual rate, multiplied by the number of resident days each month. All Freestanding Skilled Nursing Facilities, Level-B, (FS/NF-B), and Freestanding Skilled Adult Subacute Nursing Facilities, Level-B, (FSSA/NF-B), except those that are exempt under Health and Safety Code, section 1324.20(c), are required to pay the QAF.
Each SNF subject to the QAF, must pay the QAF to the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) on a monthly basis. The QAF payment is due on or before the last day of the month following the month in which the fee is imposed.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has approved QAF rates for 2022 rate year.
The 2022 QAF rates are $16.96 for less than 100,000 bed days per year and $16.08 for 100,000 or more bed days per year.
QAF SNF Payment and Reporting Forms Online Submission Form - Use this link to electronically submit census data:
Printable Form - Use this link to print and mail the census data:
Please make sure to enter your facility name, address, Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD) number, and National Provider Identification (NPI) number so that your payment will be credited to the correct account.
DHCS now accepts Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) for the SNF QAF program. For more information, please visit the
TPLRD EFT Payments webpage.
Note: If you misplaced or do not have an invoice number, refer to the following table and use the default invoice number to make a payment.
| QAF Program |
Invoice Number |
| Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) | SNF12345678
|
When paying by EFT using the default Invoice Numbers above, please send an email to
QAF@dhcs.ca.gov and include the details listed below to ensure the EFT payment is posted and applied correctly:
- Provider Name
- National Provider Identifier (NPI) Number
- Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD) Number
- Amount of EFT payment
- Date of EFT payment
- Payment invoices and/or census data identifying what the EFT payment is for (i.e., month and rate year)
SNF - QAF Rates by Rate Year
| 2007-08 (Aug-Jul) | $8.27 | $7.55 |
| 2008-09 (Aug-Jul) | $9.05 | $8.05 |
| 2009-10 (Aug-Jul) | $11.16 | $10.12 |
| 2010-11 (Aug-Jul) | $13.08 | $11.93 |
2011-12 (Aug-Dec) | Aug 11 - Dec 11 $14.33 Jan 12 - July 12 $14.42 | Aug 11 - Dec 11 $13.43 Jan 12 - July 12 $13.46 |
| 2012-13 (Aug-Jul) | $15.61 | $14.88 |
| 2013-14 (Aug-Jul) | $15.43 | $14.40 |
2014-15 (Aug-Jul) | $16.03 | $15.15 |
| 2015-16 (Aug-Jul) | $16.26 | $15.39 |
| 2016-17 (Aug-Jul) | $15.95 | $14.85 |
| 2017-18 (Aug-Jul) | $15.38 | $14.28 |
| 2018-19 (Aug-Jul) | $15.72 | $14.46 |
| 2019-20 (Aug-Jul) | $15.68 | $14.80 |
| 2020 (Aug-Dec) | $15.68 | $14.80 |
|
2021 (Jan-Dec) |
$15.19 |
$14.54 |
More information can be obtained at:
Long Term Care Reimbursement AB 1629 Program
Questions?
Any questions about the QAF payments should be directed to:
Department of Health Care Services
Third Party Liability & Recovery Division
Quality Assurance Fee Program - MS 4720
P.O. Box 997425
Sacramento, CA 95899-7425
Phone: (916) 650-0583
Fax: (916) 440-5671
Email:
QAF@dhcs.ca.gov
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