Department of Health Medical Care Availability and Reduction of Error (MCARE) Act Surcharge

The Patient Safety Authority (Authority) was established through the Medical Care Availability and Reduction of Error (MCARE) Act to collect, analyze and evaluate data regarding reports of serious events and incidents occurring in certain medical facilities and to make recommendations to reduce the number and severity of serious events and incidents.

The MCARE Act authorizes the establishment of a Patient Safety Trust Fund (Fund) for the operations of the Authority. Each medical facility covered by the MCARE Act is required to pay the Department of Health (Department) a surcharge on its licensing fee to provide sufficient revenues for the Authority to operate. This notice sets forth the procedure that the Department will follow in assessing and collecting the surcharge for FY 2025-2026. The Authority's FY 2025-2026 total MCARE assessment (surcharge) is $7.055 million. 

Each facility will receive notification from the Department setting forth the amount due, date due and the name and address to which the payment should be sent. Payment will be due by June 1, 2026. The MCARE Act authorizes the Department to assess an administrative penalty of $1,000 per day on facilities who fail to pay the surcharge by the due date.

For more information, please review the March 7, 2026 edition of the Pennsylvania Bulletin.