Bill Text: VA HB1002 | 2018 | Regular Session | Prefiled


Bill Title: Medical care facility projects; permits for certain projects in Planning District II, civil penalty.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-02-13 - Left in Health, Welfare and Institutions [HB1002 Detail]

Download: Virginia-2018-HB1002-Prefiled.html
18100611D
HOUSE BILL NO. 1002
Offered January 10, 2018
Prefiled January 9, 2018
A BILL to amend and reenact §§32.1-102.1, 32.1-102.2, as it is currently effective and as it shall become effective, 32.1-102.6, and 32.1-102.11 of the Code of Virginia and to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Chapter 4 of Title 32.1 an article numbered 1.2, consisting of sections numbered 32.1-102.14 and 32.1-102.15, relating to permits for certain medical care facility projects; civil penalty.
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Patron-- Byron
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Committee Referral Pending
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Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That §§32.1-102.1, 32.1-102.2, as it is currently effective and as it shall become effective, 32.1-102.6, and 32.1-102.11 of the Code of Virginia are amended and reenacted and that the Code of Virginia is amended by adding in Chapter 4 of Title 32.1 an article numbered 1.2, consisting of sections numbered 32.1-102.14 and 32.1-102.15, as follows:

§32.1-102.1. Definitions.

As used in this article, unless the context indicates otherwise:

"Bad debt" means revenue amounts deemed uncollectable as determined after collection efforts based upon sound credit and collection policies.

"Certificate" means a certificate of public need for a project required by this article.

"Charity care" means health care services delivered to a patient who has a family income at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level and for which it was determined that no payment was expected (i) at the time the service was provided because the patient met the facility's criteria for the provision of care without charge due to the patient's status as an indigent person or (ii) at some time following the time the service was provided because the patient met the facility's criteria for the provision of care without charge due to the patient's status as an indigent person. "Charity care" does not include care provided for a fee subsequently deemed uncollectable as bad debt. For a nursing home as defined in §32.1-123, "charity care" means care at a reduced rate to indigent persons.

"Clinical health service" means a single diagnostic, therapeutic, rehabilitative, preventive or palliative procedure or a series of such procedures that may be separately identified for billing and accounting purposes.

"Health planning region" means a contiguous geographical area of the Commonwealth with a population base of at least 500,000 persons which is characterized by the availability of multiple levels of medical care services, reasonable travel time for tertiary care, and congruence with planning districts.

"Medical care facility," as used in this title, means any institution, place, building or agency, whether or not licensed or required to be licensed by the Board or the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, whether operated for profit or nonprofit and whether privately owned or privately operated or owned or operated by a local governmental unit, (i) by or in which health services are furnished, conducted, operated or offered for the prevention, diagnosis or treatment of human disease, pain, injury, deformity or physical condition, whether medical or surgical, of two or more nonrelated persons who are injured or physically sick or have mental illness, or for the care of two or more nonrelated persons requiring or receiving medical, surgical or nursing attention or services as acute, chronic, convalescent, aged, physically disabled or crippled or (ii) which is the recipient of reimbursements from third-party health insurance programs or prepaid medical service plans. For purposes of this article, only the following medical care facilities shall be subject to review:

1. Nursing homes; and

2. Any of the following in any planning district in the Commonwealth other than Planning District 11:

a. General hospitals.

2. b. Sanitariums.

3. Nursing homes.

4. c. Intermediate care facilities, except those intermediate care facilities established for individuals with intellectual disability (ICF/IID) that have no more than 12 beds and are in an area identified as in need of residential services for individuals with intellectual disability in any plan of the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services.

5. d. Extended care facilities.

6. e. Mental hospitals.

7. f. Facilities for individuals with developmental disabilities.

8. g. Psychiatric hospitals and intermediate care facilities established primarily for the medical, psychiatric or psychological treatment and rehabilitation of individuals with substance abuse.

9. h. Specialized centers or clinics or that portion of a physician's office developed for the provision of outpatient or ambulatory surgery, cardiac catheterization, computed tomographic (CT) scanning, stereotactic radiosurgery, lithotripsy, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), magnetic source imaging (MSI), positron emission tomographic (PET) scanning, radiation therapy, stereotactic radiotherapy, proton beam therapy, nuclear medicine imaging, except for the purpose of nuclear cardiac imaging, or such other specialty services as may be designated by the Board by regulation.

10. i. Rehabilitation hospitals.

11. j. Any facility licensed as a hospital.

The term "medical care facility" does not include any facility of (i) the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services; (ii) any nonhospital substance abuse residential treatment program operated by or contracted primarily for the use of a community services board under the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services' Comprehensive State Plan; (iii) an intermediate care facility for individuals with intellectual disability (ICF/IID) that has no more than 12 beds and is in an area identified as in need of residential services for individuals with intellectual disability in any plan of the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services; (iv) a physician's office, except that portion of a physician's office described in subdivision 9 2 h of the definition of "medical care facility"; (v) the Wilson Workforce and Rehabilitation Center of the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services; (vi) the Department of Corrections; or (vii) the Department of Veterans Services. "Medical care facility" shall also does not include that portion of a physician's office dedicated to providing nuclear cardiac imaging.

"Project" means:

1. Establishment of a medical care facility;

2. An increase in the total number of beds or operating rooms in an existing medical care facility;

3. Relocation of beds from one existing medical care facility to another, provided that "project" does not include the relocation of up to 10 beds or 10 percent of the beds, whichever is less, (i) from one existing medical care facility to another existing medical care facility at the same site in any two-year period, or (ii) in any three-year period, from one existing nursing home facility to any other existing nursing home facility owned or controlled by the same person that is located either within the same planning district, or within another planning district out of which, during or prior to that three-year period, at least 10 times that number of beds have been authorized by statute to be relocated from one or more nursing home facilities located in that other planning district and at least half of those beds have not been replaced, provided further that, however, a hospital shall not be required to obtain a certificate for the use of 10 percent of its beds as nursing home beds as provided in §32.1-132;

4. Introduction into an existing medical care facility of any new nursing home service, such as intermediate care facility services, extended care facility services, or skilled nursing facility services, regardless of the type of medical care facility in which those services are provided;

5. Introduction into an existing medical care facility of any new cardiac catheterization, computed tomographic (CT) scanning, stereotactic radiosurgery, lithotripsy, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), magnetic source imaging (MSI), medical rehabilitation, neonatal special care, obstetrical, open heart surgery, positron emission tomographic (PET) scanning, psychiatric, organ or tissue transplant service, radiation therapy, stereotactic radiotherapy, proton beam therapy, nuclear medicine imaging, except for the purpose of nuclear cardiac imaging, substance abuse treatment, or such other specialty clinical services as may be designated by the Board by regulation, which the medical care facility has never provided or has not provided in the previous 12 months;

6. 5. Conversion of beds in an existing medical care facility to medical rehabilitation beds or psychiatric beds;

7. 6. The addition by an existing medical care facility of any medical equipment for the provision of cardiac catheterization, computed tomographic (CT) scanning, stereotactic radiosurgery, lithotripsy, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), magnetic source imaging (MSI), open heart surgery, positron emission tomographic (PET) scanning, radiation therapy, stereotactic radiotherapy, proton beam therapy, or other specialized service designated by the Board by regulation. Replacement of existing equipment shall not require a certificate of public need;

8. 7. Any capital expenditure of $15 million or more, not defined as reviewable in subdivisions 1 through 7 6 of this definition, by or on behalf of a medical care facility other than a general hospital. Capital expenditures of $5 million or more by a general hospital and capital expenditures between $5 and $15 million by a medical care facility other than a general hospital shall be registered with the Commissioner pursuant to regulations developed by the Board. The amounts specified in this subdivision shall be revised effective July 1, 2008, and annually thereafter to reflect inflation using appropriate measures incorporating construction costs and medical inflation. Nothing in this subdivision shall be construed to modify or eliminate the reviewability of any project described in subdivisions 1 through 7 6 of this definition when undertaken by or on behalf of a general hospital; or

9. 8. Conversion in an existing medical care facility of psychiatric inpatient beds approved pursuant to a Request for Applications (RFA) to nonpsychiatric inpatient beds.

"Project" also includes the introduction into an existing medical care facility, as defined in this section or in § 32.1-102.14, of any new nursing home service, such as intermediate care facility services, extended care facility services, or skilled nursing facility services, regardless of the type of medical care facility in which those services are provided.

"Regional health planning agency" means the regional agency, including the regional health planning board, its staff and any component thereof, designated by the Virginia Health Planning Board to perform the health planning activities set forth in this chapter within a health planning region.

"State Medical Facilities Plan" means the planning document adopted by the Board of Health which shall include, but not be limited to, (i) methodologies for projecting need for medical care facility beds and services; (ii) statistical information on the availability of medical care facilities and services; and (iii) procedures, criteria and standards for review of applications for projects for medical care facilities and services.

§32.1-102.2. (Effective until July 1, 2019) Regulations.

A. The Board shall promulgate regulations which are consistent with this article and:

1. Shall establish concise procedures for the prompt review of applications for certificates consistent with the provisions of this article which may include a structured batching process which incorporates, but is not limited to, authorization for the Commissioner to request proposals for certain projects. In any structured batching process established by the Board, applications, combined or separate, for computed tomographic (CT) scanning, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomographic (PET) scanning, radiation therapy, stereotactic radiotherapy, proton beam therapy, or nuclear imaging shall be considered in the radiation therapy batch. A single application may be filed for a combination of (i) radiation therapy, stereotactic radiotherapy and proton beam therapy, and (ii) any or all of the computed tomographic (CT) scanning, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomographic (PET) scanning, and nuclear medicine imaging;

2. May classify projects and may eliminate one or more or all of the procedures prescribed in §32.1-102.6 for different classifications;

3. May provide for exempting from the requirement of a certificate projects determined by the Commissioner, upon application for exemption, to be subject to the economic forces of a competitive market or to have no discernible impact on the cost or quality of health services;

4. Shall establish specific criteria for determining need in rural areas, giving due consideration to distinct and unique geographic, socioeconomic, cultural, transportation, and other barriers to access to care in such areas and providing for weighted calculations of need based on the barriers to health care access in such rural areas in lieu of the determinations of need used for the particular proposed project within the relevant health systems area as a whole;

5. May establish, on or after July 1, 1999, a schedule of fees for applications for certificates to be applied to expenses for the administration and operation of the certificate of public need program. Such fees shall not be less than $1,000 nor exceed the lesser of one percent of the proposed expenditure for the project or $20,000. Until such time as the Board shall establish a schedule of fees, such fees shall be one percent of the proposed expenditure for the project; however, such fees shall not be less than $1,000 or more than $20,000; and

6. Shall establish an expedited application and review process for any certificate for projects reviewable pursuant to subdivision 8 7 of the definition of "project" in §32.1-102.1. Regulations establishing the expedited application and review procedure shall include provisions for notice and opportunity for public comment on the application for a certificate, and criteria pursuant to which an application that would normally undergo the review process would instead undergo the full certificate of public need review process set forth in §32.1-102.6.

B. The Board shall promulgate regulations providing for time limitations for schedules for completion and limitations on the exceeding of the maximum capital expenditure amount for all reviewable projects. The Commissioner shall not approve any such extension or excess unless it complies with the Board's regulations. However, the Commissioner may approve a significant change in cost for an approved project that exceeds the authorized capital expenditure by more than 20 percent, provided the applicant has demonstrated that the cost increases are reasonable and necessary under all the circumstances and do not result from any material expansion of the project as approved.

C. The Board shall also promulgate regulations authorizing the Commissioner to condition approval of a certificate on the agreement of the applicant to provide a level of care at a reduced rate to indigents or accept patients requiring specialized care. In addition, the Board's licensure regulations shall direct the Commissioner to condition the issuing or renewing of any license for any applicant whose certificate was approved upon such condition on whether such applicant has complied with any agreement to provide a level of care at a reduced rate to indigents or accept patients requiring specialized care.

§32.1-102.2. (Effective July 1, 2019) Regulations.

The Board shall promulgate regulations that are consistent with this article and:

1. Shall establish concise procedures for the prompt review of applications for certificates consistent with the provisions of this article which may include a structured batching process which incorporates, but is not limited to, authorization for the Commissioner to request proposals for certain projects. In any structured batching process established by the Board, applications, combined or separate, for computed tomographic (CT) scanning, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomographic (PET) scanning, radiation therapy, stereotactic radiotherapy, proton beam therapy, or nuclear imaging shall be considered in the radiation therapy batch. A single application may be filed for a combination of (i) radiation therapy, stereotactic radiotherapy and proton beam therapy, and (ii) any or all of the computed tomographic (CT) scanning, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomographic (PET) scanning, and nuclear medicine imaging;

2. May classify projects and may eliminate one or more or all of the procedures prescribed in §32.1-102.6 for different classifications;

3. May provide for exempting from the requirement of a certificate projects determined by the Commissioner, upon application for exemption, to be subject to the economic forces of a competitive market or to have no discernible impact on the cost or quality of health services;

4. Shall establish specific criteria for determining need in rural areas, giving due consideration to distinct and unique geographic, socioeconomic, cultural, transportation, and other barriers to access to care in such areas and providing for weighted calculations of need based on the barriers to health care access in such rural areas in lieu of the determinations of need used for the particular proposed project within the relevant health systems area as a whole;

5. May establish, on or after July 1, 1999, a schedule of fees for applications for certificates to be applied to expenses for the administration and operation of the certificate of public need program. Such fees shall not be less than $ 1,000 nor exceed the lesser of one percent of the proposed expenditure for the project or $ 20,000. Until such time as the Board shall establish a schedule of fees, such fees shall be one percent of the proposed expenditure for the project; however, such fees shall not be less than $ 1,000 or more than $ 20,000; and

6. Shall establish an expedited application and review process for any certificate for projects reviewable pursuant to subdivision 8 7 of the definition of "project" in §32.1-102.1. Regulations establishing the expedited application and review procedure shall include provisions for notice and opportunity for public comment on the application for a certificate, and criteria pursuant to which an application that would normally undergo the review process would instead undergo the full certificate of public need review process set forth in §32.1-102.6.

B. The Board shall promulgate regulations providing for time limitations for schedules for completion and limitations on the exceeding of the maximum capital expenditure amount for all reviewable projects. The Commissioner shall not approve any such extension or excess unless it complies with the Board's regulations. However, the Commissioner may approve a significant change in cost for an approved project that exceeds the authorized capital expenditure by more than 20 percent, provided the applicant has demonstrated that the cost increases are reasonable and necessary under all the circumstances and do not result from any material expansion of the project as approved.

C. The Board shall also promulgate regulations authorizing the Commissioner to condition approval of a certificate on the agreement of the applicant to provide a level of charity care to indigent persons or accept patients requiring specialized care. In addition, the Board's licensure regulations shall direct the Commissioner to condition the issuing or renewing of any license for any applicant whose certificate was approved upon such condition on whether such applicant has complied with any agreement to provide a level of charity care to indigent persons or accept patients requiring specialized care. Except in the case of nursing homes, the value of charity care provided to individuals pursuant to this subsection shall be based on the provider reimbursement methodology utilized by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for reimbursement under Title XVIII of the Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C. §1395 et seq.

§32.1-102.6. Administrative procedures.

A. To obtain a certificate for a project, the applicant shall file a completed application for a certificate with the Department and the appropriate regional health planning agency if a regional health planning agency has been designated for that region. In order to verify the date of the Department's and the appropriate regional health planning agency's receipt of the application, the applicant shall transmit the document electronically, by certified mail or a delivery service, return receipt requested, or shall deliver the document by hand, with signed receipt to be provided.

Within 10 calendar days of the date on which the document is received, the Department and the appropriate regional health planning agency, if a regional health planning agency has been designated, shall determine whether the application is complete or not and the Department shall notify the applicant, if the application is not complete, of the information needed to complete the application. If no regional health planning agency is designated for the health planning region in which the project will be located, no filing with a regional health planning agency is required and the Department shall determine if the application is complete and notify the applicant, if the application is not complete, of the information needed to complete the application.

At least 30 calendar days before any person is contractually obligated to acquire an existing medical care facility, the cost of which is $600,000 or more, that person shall notify the Commissioner and the appropriate regional health planning agency, if a regional health planning agency has been designated, of the intent, the services to be offered in the facility, the bed capacity in the facility and the projected impact that the cost of the acquisition will have upon the charges for services to be provided. If clinical services or beds are proposed to be added as a result of the acquisition, the Commissioner may require the proposed new owner to obtain a certificate prior to the acquisition. If no regional health planning agency is designated for the health planning region in which the acquisition will take place, no notification to a regional health planning agency shall be required.

B. For projects proposed in health planning regions with regional planning agencies, the appropriate regional health planning agency shall (i) review each completed application for a certificate within 60 calendar days of the day which begins the appropriate batch review cycle as established by the Board by regulation pursuant to subdivision A 1 of § 32.1-102.2, such cycle not to exceed 190 days in duration, and (ii) hold one public hearing on each application in a location in the county or city in which the project is proposed or a contiguous county or city. Prior to the public hearing, the regional health planning agency shall notify the local governing bodies in the planning district. At least nine days prior to the public hearing, the regional health planning agency shall cause notice of the public hearing to be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the county or city where the project is proposed to be located. The regional health planning agency shall consider the comments of the local governing bodies in the planning district and all other public comments in making its decision. Such comments shall be part of the record. In no case shall a regional health planning agency hold more than two meetings on any application, one of which shall be the public hearing conducted by the board of the regional health planning agency or a subcommittee of the board. The applicant shall be given the opportunity, prior to the vote by the board of the regional health planning agency or a committee of the agency, if acting for the board, on its recommendation, to respond to any comments made about the project by the regional health planning agency staff, any information in a regional health planning agency staff report, or comments by those voting members of the regional health planning agency board; however, such opportunity shall not increase the 60-calendar-day period designated herein for the regional health planning agency's review unless the applicant or applicants request a specific extension of the regional health planning agency's review period.

The regional health planning agency shall submit its recommendations on each application and its reasons therefor to the Department within 10 calendar days after the completion of its 60-calendar-day review or such other period in accordance with the applicant's request for extension.

If the regional health planning agency has not completed its review within the specified 60 calendar days or such other period in accordance with the applicant's request for extension and submitted its recommendations on the application and the reasons therefor within 10 calendar days after the completion of its review, the Department shall, on the eleventh calendar day after the expiration of the regional health planning agency's review period, proceed as though the regional health planning agency has recommended project approval without conditions or revision.

If no regional health planning agency has been designated for a region, the Department shall hold one hearing on each application in a location in the county or city in which the project is proposed or a contiguous county or city. Prior to the hearing, the Department shall notify the local governing bodies in the planning district in which the project is proposed. At least nine days prior to the public hearing, the Department shall cause notice of the public hearing to be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the county or city where the project is proposed to be located. The Department shall consider the comments of the local governing bodies in the planning district and all other public comments in making its decision. Such comments shall be part of the record.

C. After commencement of any public hearing and before a decision is made there shall be no ex parte contacts concerning the subject certificate or its application between (i) any person acting on behalf of the applicant or holder of a certificate or any person opposed to the issuance or in favor of revocation of a certificate of public need and (ii) any person in the Department who has authority to make a determination respecting the issuance or revocation of a certificate of public need, unless the Department has provided advance notice to all parties referred to in (i) of the time and place of such proposed contact.

D. The Department shall commence the review of each completed application upon the day which begins the appropriate batch review cycle and simultaneously with the review conducted by the regional health planning agency, if a regional health planning agency has been designated.

A determination whether a public need exists for a project shall be made by the Commissioner within 190 calendar days of the day which begins the appropriate batch cycle.

The 190-calendar-day review period shall begin on the date upon which the application is determined to be complete within the batching process specified in subdivision A 1 of §32.1-102.2.

If the application is not determined to be complete within 40 calendar days from submission, the application shall be refiled in the next batch for like projects.

The Commissioner shall make determinations in accordance with the provisions of the Administrative Process Act (§2.2-4000 et seq.) except for those parts of the determination process for which timelines and specifications are delineated in subsection E of this section. Further, if an informal fact-finding conference is determined to be necessary by the Department or is requested by a person seeking good cause standing, the parties to the case shall include only the applicant, any person showing good cause, any third-party payor providing health care insurance or prepaid coverage to five percent or more of the patients in the applicant's service area, and the relevant health planning agency.

E. Upon entry of each completed application or applications into the appropriate batch review cycle:

1. The Department shall establish, for every application, a date between the eightieth and ninetieth calendar days within the 190-calendar-day review period for holding an informal fact-finding conference, if such conference is necessary.

2. The Department shall review every application at or before the seventy-fifth calendar day within the 190-calendar-day review period to determine whether an informal fact-finding conference is necessary.

3. Any person seeking to be made a party to the case for good cause shall notify the Department of his request and the basis therefor on or before the eightieth calendar day following the day which begins the appropriate batch review cycle.

4. In any case in which an informal fact-finding conference is held, a date shall be established for the closing of the record which shall not be more than 30 calendar days after the date for holding the informal fact-finding conference.

5. In any case in which an informal fact-finding conference is not held, the record shall be closed on the earlier of (i) the date established for holding the informal fact-finding conference or (ii) the date that the Department determines an informal fact-finding conference is not necessary.

6. The provisions of subsection C of §2.2-4021 notwithstanding, if a determination whether a public need exists for a project is not made by the Commissioner within 45 calendar days of the closing of the record, the Commissioner shall notify the applicant or applicants and any persons seeking to show good cause, in writing, that the application or the application of each shall be deemed approved 25 calendar days after expiration of such 45-calendar-day period, unless the receipt of recommendations from the person performing the hearing officer functions permits the Commissioner to issue his case decision within that 25-calendar-day period. The validity or timeliness of the aforementioned notice shall not, in any event, prevent, delay or otherwise impact the effectiveness of this section.

7. In any case when a determination whether a public need exists for a project is not made by the Commissioner within 70 calendar days after the closing of the record, the application shall be deemed to be approved and the certificate shall be granted.

8. If a determination whether a public need exists for a project is not made by the Commissioner within 45 calendar days of the closing of the record, any applicant who is competing in the relevant batch or who has filed an application in response to the relevant Request For Applications issued pursuant to §32.1-102.3:2 may, prior to the application being deemed approved, petition for immediate injunctive relief pursuant to §2.2-4030, naming as respondents the Commissioner and all parties to the case. During the pendency of the proceeding, no applications shall be deemed to be approved. In such a proceeding, the provisions of §2.2-4030 shall apply.

F. Deemed approvals shall be construed as the Commissioner's case decision on the application pursuant to the Administrative Process Act (§ 2.2-4000 et seq.) and shall be subject to judicial review on appeal as the Commissioner's case decision in accordance with such act.

Any person who has sought to participate in the Department's review of such deemed-to-be-approved application as a person showing good cause who has not received a final determination from the Commissioner concerning such attempt to show good cause shall be deemed to be a person showing good cause for purposes of appeal of the deemed approval of the certificate.

In any appeal of the Commissioner's case decision granting a certificate of public need pursuant to a Request for Applications issued pursuant to §32.1-102.3:2, the court may require the appellant to file a bond pursuant to §8.01-676.1, in such sum as shall be fixed by the court for protection of all parties interested in the case decision, conditioned on the payment of all damages and costs incurred in consequence of such appeal.

G. For purposes of this section, "good cause" shall mean that (i) there is significant relevant information not previously presented at and not available at the time of the public hearing, (ii) there have been significant changes in factors or circumstances relating to the application subsequent to the public hearing, or (iii) there is a substantial material mistake of fact or law in the Department staff's report on the application or in the report submitted by the health planning agency.

H. The project review procedures shall provide for separation of the project review manager functions from the hearing officer functions. No person serving in the role of project review manager shall serve as a hearing officer.

I. The applicants, and only the applicants, shall have the authority to extend any of the time periods specified in this section. If all applicants consent to extending any time period in this section, the Commissioner, with the concurrence of the applicants, shall establish a new schedule for the remaining time periods.

J. This section shall not apply to applications for certificates for projects defined in subdivision 8 7 of the definition of "project" in §32.1-102.1. Such projects shall be subject to an expedited application and review process developed by the Board in regulation pursuant to subdivision A 2 of §32.1-102.2.

§32.1-102.11. Application of article.

A. On and after July 1, 1992, every project of an existing or proposed medical care facility, as defined in §32.1-102.1, shall be subject to all provisions of this article unless, with respect to such project, the owner or operator of an existing medical care facility or the developer of a proposed medical care facility (i) has, by February 1, 1992, purchased or leased equipment subject to registration pursuant to former §32.1-102.3:4, (ii) has, by February 1, 1992, initiated construction requiring a capital expenditure exceeding one million dollars, or (iii) has made or contracted to make or otherwise legally obligated to make, during the three years ending February 1, 1992, preliminary expenditures of $350,000 or more for a formal plan of construction of the specific project, including expenditures for site acquisition, designs, preliminary or working drawings, construction documents, or other items essential to the construction of the specific project.

Any project exempted pursuant to subdivisions (ii) and (iii) of this subsection shall be limited to such construction, services, and equipment as specifically identified in the formal plan of construction which shall have existed and been formally committed to by February 1, 1992. Further, the equipment to be exempted pursuant to subdivisions (ii) and (iii) shall be limited to the number of units and any types of medical equipment, in the case of medical equipment intended to provide any services included in subdivision 65 of the definition of project in §32.1-102.1, as are specifically identified in such plan and, in the case of all other equipment, such equipment as is appropriate for the construction and services included in such plan.

None of the exemptions provided in this subsection shall be applicable to projects which required a certificate of public need pursuant to this article on January 1, 1992.

B. Any medical care facility or entity claiming to meet one of the conditions set forth in subsection A of this section shall file a completed application for an exemption from the provisions of this article with the Commissioner by August 1, 1992. Forms for such application shall be made available by the Commissioner no later than April 1, 1992. The Commissioner may deny an exemption if the application is not complete on August 1, 1992, and the medical care facility or entity has not filed a completed application within forty-five days after notice of deficiency in the filing of the completed application. After receiving a completed application, the Commissioner shall determine whether the project has met one of the criteria for an exemption and is, therefore, exempt or has not met any of the criteria for an exemption and is, therefore, subject to all provisions of this article and shall notify the medical care facility or entity of his determination within sixty days of the date of filing of the completed application. If it is determined that an exemption exists for only a portion of a project, the Commissioner may approve an exemption for that portion and any appeal may be limited to the part of the decision with which the appellant disagrees without affecting the remainder of the decision. The Commissioner's determination shall be made in accordance with the provisions of the Administrative Process Act (§2.2-4000 et seq.), except that parties to the case shall include only those parties specified in § 32.1-102.6.

C. For the purposes of this section:

"Formal plan of construction" means documentary evidence indicating that the facility, the owner or operator of the facility, or the developer of a proposed facility was formally committed to the project by February 1, 1992, and describing the specific project in sufficient detail to reasonably define and confirm the scope of the project including estimated cost, intended location, any clinical health services to be involved and any types of equipment to be purchased. Such documentary evidence shall include designs, preliminary or working drawings, construction documents or other documents which have been used to explicitly define and confirm the scope of the project for the purposes of seeking architectural or construction plans or capital to the extent that such capital was committed or agreed to be provided for such project prior to February 1, 1992.

"Initiated construction" means an owner or operator of an existing facility or the developer of a proposed facility can present evidence for a specific project that (i) a construction contract has been executed; (ii) if applicable, short-term financing has been completed; (iii) if applicable, a commitment for long-term financing has been obtained; and (iv) if the project is for construction of a new facility or expansion of an existing facility, predevelopment site work and building foundations have been completed.

"Leased" means that the owner or operator of an existing medical care facility or the developer of a proposed facility has a legally binding commitment to lease the equipment pursuant to an agreement providing for fixed, periodic payments commencing no later than June 30, 1992, including a lease-purchase agreement in which the owner or operator of the facility or developer has an option to purchase the equipment for less than fair market value upon conclusion of the lease or an installment sale agreement with fixed periodic payments commencing no later than June 30, 1992.

"Purchased" means that the equipment has been acquired by the owner or operator of an existing medical care facility or the developer of a proposed medical care facility, or the owner or operator of the facility or the developer can present evidence of a legal obligation to acquire the equipment in the form of an executed contract or appropriately signed order or requisition and payment has been made in full by June 30, 1992.

 

Article 1.2.
Permits for Medical Care Facility Projects.

§32.1-102.14. Definitions.

As used in this article, unless the context requires a different meaning:

"Medical care facility" means any of the following located or proposed to be located in Planning District 11:

1. Any facility licensed as a hospital, including any general hospital, mental hospital, psychiatric hospital, and rehabilitative hospital.

2. Sanitariums.

3. Intermediate care facilities, except those intermediate care facilities established for individuals with intellectual disability (ICF/IID) that have no more than 12 beds and are in an area identified as in need of residential services for individuals with intellectual disability in any plan of the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services.

4.Facilities for individuals with developmental disabilities.

5. Intermediate care facilities established primarily for the medical, psychiatric, or psychological treatment and rehabilitation of individuals with substance abuse.

6. Specialized centers or clinics or that portion of a physician's office developed for the provision of outpatient or ambulatory surgery, cardiac catheterization, computed tomographic (CT) scanning, stereotactic radiosurgery, lithotripsy, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), magnetic source imaging (MSI), positron emission tomographic (PET) scanning, radiation therapy, stereotactic radiotherapy, proton beam therapy, nuclear medicine imaging, except for the purpose of nuclear cardiac imaging, or such other specialty services as may be designated by the Board by regulation.

"Project" means:

1. Establishment of a medical care facility;

2. An increase in the total number of beds or operating rooms in an existing medical care facility;

3. Relocation of beds from one existing medical care facility to another, provided that "project" does not include the relocation of up to 10 beds or 10 percent of the beds, whichever is less, from one existing medical care facility to another existing medical care facility at the same site in any two-year period;

4. Introduction into an existing medical care facility of any new cardiac catheterization, computed tomographic (CT) scanning, stereotactic radiosurgery, lithotripsy, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), magnetic source imaging (MSI), medical rehabilitation, neonatal special care, obstetrical, open heart surgery, positron emission tomographic (PET) scanning, psychiatric, organ or tissue transplant service, radiation therapy, stereotactic radiotherapy, proton beam therapy, nuclear medicine imaging, except for the purpose of nuclear cardiac imaging, substance abuse treatment, or such other specialty clinical services as may be designated by the Board by regulation, which the medical care facility has never provided or has not provided in the previous 12 months;

5. Conversion of beds in an existing medical care facility to medical rehabilitation beds or psychiatric beds;

6. The addition by an existing medical care facility of any medical equipment for the provision of cardiac catheterization, computed tomographic (CT) scanning, stereotactic radiosurgery, lithotripsy, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), magnetic source imaging (MSI), open heart surgery, positron emission tomographic (PET) scanning, radiation therapy, stereotactic radiotherapy, proton beam therapy, or other specialized service designated by the Board by regulation. Replacement of existing equipment shall not require a certificate of public need;

7. Any capital expenditure of $15 million or more, not defined as reviewable in subdivisions 1 through 6 of this definition, by or on behalf of a medical care facility other than a general hospital. Capital expenditures of $5 million or more by a general hospital and capital expenditures between $5 and $15 million by a medical care facility other than a general hospital shall be registered with the Commissioner pursuant to regulations developed by the Board. The amounts specified in this subdivision shall be revised by July 1 each year to reflect inflation using appropriate measures incorporating construction costs and medical inflation. Nothing in this subdivision shall be construed to modify or eliminate the reviewability of any project described in subdivisions 1 through 6 of this definition when undertaken by or on behalf of a general hospital; or

8. Conversion in an existing medical care facility of psychiatric inpatient beds approved pursuant to a Request for Applications (RFA) pursuant to § 32.1-102.3:2 to nonpsychiatric inpatient beds.

§32.1-102.15. Permit required; conditions on permits; civil penalty.

A. No person shall commence any project without first obtaining a permit from the Commissioner.

B. At least 90 days prior to initiating a project for which a permit is required, a person shall file with the Department an application for a permit, together with a fee determined by the Board. The Commissioner shall issue the permit within 30 days of receipt of the application.

C. The Commissioner shall condition the issuance of a permit to undertake a project upon the agreement of the applicant to (i) provide a specified level of care at a reduced rate to indigent patients in an amount that matches the average amount of care provided to indigent patients by holders of certificates of public need in Planning District 11, (ii) accept patients requiring specialized care, or (iii) facilitate the development and operation of primary medical care services in designated medically underserved areas of the applicant's service area.

The holder of a permit that is subject to conditions pursuant to this subsection shall provide such documentation as may be required by the Commissioner to demonstrate compliance with the conditions imposed.

The Commissioner shall monitor compliance with permit conditions pursuant to this subsection. If the permit holder is unable or fails to comply with the conditions imposed by the Commissioner, the Commissioner may, upon request of the permit holder, approve a plan of compliance with alternative methods to satisfy the permit conditions. Such alternative methods may include (a) a direct payment by the permit holder to an organization authorized under a memorandum of understanding with the Department to receive contributions satisfying conditions of the permit; (b) a direct payment by the permit holder to a private nonprofit foundation that funds basic insurance coverage for indigent persons authorized under a memorandum of understanding with the Department to receive contributions satisfying conditions of a permit; (c) provision by the permit holder of on-call coverage at a hospital, including the emergency department of a hospital; or (d) such other methods for the provision of primary or specialized care to indigent patients or patients requiring specialized care as may be approved by the Commissioner. Any permit holder that fails or refuses to comply with conditions on a permit imposed by the Commissioner or, in cases in which a plan of compliance is entered into pursuant to this subsection, the requirements of such plan of compliance is subject to a civil penalty of up to $100 per violation per day until the date of compliance. Such penalty shall be collected by the Office of the Attorney General and the proceeds shall be deposited into the Literary Fund.

The Commissioner may, pursuant to regulation of the Board, accept requests for and approve amendments to permit conditions pursuant to this subsection upon request of the permit holder.

The Board shall adopt regulations governing the issuance and revocation of permits in accordance with the provisions of this subsection.

D. The Commissioner shall condition the issuance of a permit to undertake a project upon the compliance of the applicant with quality of care standards established by the Board and may revoke a permit issued in accordance with this section in any case in which the permit holder fails to maintain compliance with such standards.

The Board shall adopt regulations governing the issuance and revocation of permits in accordance with the provisions of this subsection, which shall include:

1. Quality of care standards for the specific specialty service that are consistent with nationally recognized standards for such specialty services;

2. A list of those national accrediting organizations having quality of care standards, compliance with which shall be deemed satisfactory to comply with quality of care standards adopted by the Board;

3. Equipment standards and standards for appropriate utilization of equipment and services;

4. Requirements for monitoring compliance with quality of care standards, including data reporting and periodic inspections; and

5. Procedures for the issuance and revocation of permits pursuant to this subsection.

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