Legislative intent; perinatal intensive care services.

The Legislature finds that many perinatal diseases and disabilities have debilitating, costly, and often fatal consequences if left untreated. Many of these debilitating conditions could be prevented or ameliorated if services were available to the public through a regional perinatal intensive care centers program. Perinatal intensive care services are critical to the well-being and development of a healthy society and represent a constructive, cost-beneficial, and essential investment in the future of our state. Therefore, it is the intent of the Legislature to develop a regional perinatal intensive care centers program. The Legislature further intends that development of such program not reduce or dilute the current financial commitment of the state, as indicated through appropriation, to the existing regional perinatal intensive care centers. It is also the intent of the Legislature that any additional centers authorized under s. 383.19 after July 1, 1993, not receive payments under a disproportionate share program for regional perinatal intensive care centers authorized under chapter 409 unless specific appropriations are provided to expand such payments to additional hospitals.