Section 31-8-34. Maintenance of records; certification of cost of care; determination of amount of fund

   (a) Each hospital shall maintain accurate records of its cost of care for providing health care services for nonresident indigent patients. As soon as practicable after the close of each quarter of each fiscal year and within not more than 30 days after the close thereof, the chief administrative officer of each hospital shall certify to the commissioner the total cost of care incurred by the hospital in providing health care to nonresident indigent patients for the immediately preceding quarter.

(b) For the 1980-81 fiscal year, the commissioner shall estimate the state-wide cost of care for nonresident indigent patients by annualizing the total amount shown on the first quarterly submissions to him under subsection (a) of this Code section of cost of care for nonresident indigent patients and by adjusting the annualized amount by a factor, not to exceed 10 percent of such amount, which the commissioner determines to be a reasonable estimate of anticipated increases in the cost of care for nonresident indigent patients.

(c) For the 1981-82 fiscal year and for each fiscal year thereafter, the commissioner shall estimate the state-wide cost of care for nonresident indigent patients by annualizing the total payments, as provided by Code Section 31-8-35, to hospitals from the fund during the first quarter of the immediately preceding fiscal year, adjusted by a factor which, based on the experience of the fund, the commissioner determines to be a reasonable estimate of anticipated increases or decreases in the cost of care for nonresident indigent patients; but no estimated increase in such cost shall exceed 10 percent of the annualized amount.

Code 1933, § 88-2305a, enacted by Ga. L. 1979, p. 1234, § 1.