Maryland Health - General Section 19-3A-07

      (a)      There is a freestanding medical facility pilot project.

      (b)      The Department shall issue a freestanding medical facility license to one freestanding medical facility pilot project if:

            (1)      The freestanding medical facility pilot project is established by, and will operate administratively as part of, an acute care general hospital;

            (2)      The acute care general hospital is part of a merged asset system with all of its existing Maryland acute care general hospitals located in a single jurisdiction;

            (3)      There are not more than 5 acute care general hospitals in the jurisdiction;

            (4)      One or more of the existing acute care general hospitals in the merged asset system has an emergency department volume of 75,000 or more visits for the 12 months ending June 30, 2004;

            (5)      The freestanding medical facility pilot project will operate in Montgomery County;

            (6)      The capital expenditure to implement the freestanding medical facility pilot project otherwise meets the requirements of § 19-120(k)(5)(viii) of this title; and

            (7)      The freestanding medical facility pilot project meets the requirements under § 19-3A-02(b) of this subtitle.

      (c)      (1)      A freestanding medical facility pilot project shall provide to the Maryland Health Care Commission information, as specified by the Commission, on the configuration, location, operation, and utilization, including patient-level utilization, of the pilot project.

            (2)      A certificate of need is not required for a freestanding medical facility pilot project.

      (d)      (1)      This subsection applies to:

                  (i)      Individual, group, or blanket health insurance policies and contracts delivered or issued for delivery in the State by insurers, nonprofit health service plans, health maintenance organizations; and

                  (ii)      Medicaid managed care organizations.

            (2)      An entity subject to this subsection shall pay the claim for covered services submitted by a freestanding medical facility pilot project at rates consistent with the contract between the entity and the freestanding medical facility pilot project.

      (e)      The Maryland Medical Assistance Program shall pay a fee-for-service claim submitted by a freestanding medical facility pilot project at a rate at least equal to the rate paid by Medicare.

      (f)      The provisions of §§ 19-3A-01 through 19-3A-06 shall apply to a freestanding medical facility pilot project.