1. For each fiscal year the board of county commissioners shall, in the preparation of its final budget, allocate money for assistance to indigents pursuant to this chapter.

2. In a county whose population is less than 700,000, the amount allocated must be calculated by multiplying the amount allocated for that purpose for the previous fiscal year by 104.5 percent.

3. In a county whose population is 100,000 or more, the board of county commissioners may allocate money from its fund for medical assistance to indigent persons to make an intergovernmental transfer of money to the Division of Health Care Financing and Policy of the Department of Health and Human Services:

(a) In accordance with the regulations adopted pursuant to NRS 422.390; and

(b) If an upper payment limit program is established in the State Plan for Medicaid, to provide supplemental payments to any public hospital located in the county that is eligible for supplemental payments under the program.

4. When, during any fiscal year, the amount of money expended by the county for any program of medical assistance for those persons eligible pursuant to this chapter exceeds the amount allocated for that purpose in its budget, the board of county commissioners shall, to the extent that money is available in the fund, pay claims against the county from the fund for that purpose.

5. In a county whose population is 700,000 or more, the board of county commissioners may by resolution allocate money from the fund in any fiscal year, in an amount not to exceed the equivalent of the amount collected from 2 cents on each $100 of assessed valuation of all taxable property in the county, to make grants to any public hospital located in the county. Such a grant may be used by a hospital only to:

(a) Construct or acquire capital assets, including, without limitation, land, improvements to land and major items of equipment; and

(b) Renovate existing facilities of the hospital. Money granted for the renovation of facilities must not be used for the normal, recurring maintenance of the facilities.

6. As used in this section, “upper payment limit program” means a program providing for supplemental payments, not to exceed a limit calculated in the manner prescribed in the State Plan for Medicaid, to hospitals owned or operated by a governmental entity other than this State or an agency of the State.

(Added to NRS by 1985, 2032; A 1987, 91, 1242; 1989, 1861; 2011, 1254; 2013, 2883; 2017, 1009)