2005 Connecticut Code - Sec. 19a-617a. Demonstration project converting acute care hospital to provider of other medical services. Certificate of need waiver, property tax abatement.

      Sec. 19a-617a. Demonstration project converting acute care hospital to provider of other medical services. Certificate of need waiver, property tax abatement. (a) The Department of Public Health and the Office of Health Care Access, in consultation with the Department of Social Services, shall establish a five-year demonstration project to improve access to health care in an area of the state in which the viability of traditional acute-care hospitals is in question. The Department of Public Health, the Office of Health Care Access and the Department of Social Services jointly shall select not more than one hospital that is willing to terminate its certificate of need as an acute-care hospital pursuant to sections 19a-638 and 19a-639 and its licensure as an in-patient hospital pursuant to chapter 368v. Such entity shall provide: (1) An emergency room, provided the emergency room is affiliated with a hospital and that the emergency room makes use of paramedics, or (2) an ambulatory surgery center. Such entity may also provide services that include but are not limited to (A) nursing facility beds, provided such beds represent a portion of beds currently licensed and occupied as of June 4, 1996, and provided further that such nursing facility beds are relocated from an existing Medicaid certified nursing facility and such relocation does not result in an increase in state expenditure and does not result in an increase in the number of nursing facility beds in the state; and (B) assisted living under a continuing care facility that guarantees life care for its residents, as defined in section 17b-354.

      (b) Notwithstanding any provision of the general statutes or the regulations of Connecticut state agencies, the Office of Health Care Access, with the approval of the Department of Social Services, in consultation with the Department of Public Health, shall waive certificate of need requirements and the Department of Social Services, with the approval of the Department of Public Health, in consultation with the Office of Health Care Access, shall waive the licensure requirements otherwise required for the provision of the services enumerated in subsection (a) of this section and any other services deemed necessary for the demonstration project, provided the Office of Health Care Access, in consultation with the Department of Public Health and the Department of Social Services, determines that the entity providing such services otherwise meets the requirements for such certificate of need or licensure.

      (c) The Office of Health Care Access and the Department of Public Health shall reach a determination of an application for waiver under subsection (b) of this section within ninety days of submittal of the complete application.

      (d) On or before January 1, 2001, the Department of Public Health, the Department of Social Services and the Office of Health Care Access shall report to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to public health and human services on the effect on access to health care in the area of the state selected.

      (e) Any municipality may, upon approval by its legislative body or in any town in which the legislative body is a town meeting, by the board of selectmen, abate the property taxes due for any tax year or the interest on delinquent taxes with respect to any demonstration project established pursuant to this section.

      (P.A. 96-238, S. 22, 23, 25.)

      History: P.A. 96-238 effective June 4, 1996.