2005 Connecticut Code - Sec. 19a-639. (Formerly Sec. 19a-155). Certificate of need. Request for approval of capital expenditure; approval process; value of part-time use of equipment; community and school-based health center exemptions.

      Sec. 19a-639. (Formerly Sec. 19a-155). Certificate of need. Request for approval of capital expenditure; approval process; value of part-time use of equipment; community and school-based health center exemptions. (a) Except as provided in sections 19a-639a to 19a-639c, inclusive, each health care facility or institution, including, but not limited to, any inpatient rehabilitation facility, any health care facility or institution or any state health care facility or institution proposing a capital expenditure exceeding one million dollars, or the acquisition of major medical equipment requiring a capital expenditure, as defined in regulations adopted pursuant to section 19a-643, in excess of four hundred thousand dollars, including the leasing or donation of equipment or a facility, shall submit a request for approval of such expenditure to the office, with such data, information and plans as the office requires in advance of the proposed initiation date of such project.

      (b) (1) The commissioner shall notify the Commissioner of Social Services of any certificate of need request that may impact on expenditures under the state medical assistance program. The office shall consider such request in relation to the community or regional need for such capital program or purchase of land, the possible effect on the operating costs of the health care facility or institution and such other relevant factors as the office deems necessary. In approving or modifying such request, the commissioner may not prescribe any condition, such as but not limited to, any condition or limitation on the indebtedness of the facility or institution in connection with a bond issue, the principal amount of any bond issue or any other details or particulars related to the financing of such capital expenditure, not directly related to the scope of such capital program and within control of the facility or institution.

      (2) An applicant, prior to submitting a certificate of need application, shall submit a request, in writing, for application forms and instructions to the office. The request shall be known as a letter of intent. A letter of intent shall conform to the letter of intent requirements of subdivision (4) of subsection (a) of section 19a-638. No certificate of need application will be considered submitted to the office unless a current letter of intent, specific to the proposal and in compliance with this subsection, is on file with the office at least sixty days. A current letter of intent is a letter of intent which has been on file at the office no more than one hundred twenty days, except that an applicant may request a one-time extension of a letter of intent of up to an additional thirty days for a maximum total of up to one hundred fifty days if, prior to the expiration of the current letter of intent, the office receives a written request to so extend the letter of intent's current status. The extension request shall fully explain why an extension is requested. The office shall accept or reject the extension request within five business days and shall so notify the applicant. Upon a showing by such facility or institution that the need for such capital program is of an emergency nature, in that the capital expenditure is necessary to comply with any federal, state or local health, fire, building or life safety code, the commissioner may waive the letter of intent requirement, provided such request shall be submitted at least ten business days before the proposed initiation date of the project. The commissioner shall grant, modify or deny such request within ninety days or within ten business days, as the case may be, of receipt thereof, except as provided for in this section. Upon the request of the applicant, the review period may be extended for an additional fifteen days if the office has requested additional information subsequent to the commencement of the review period. The commissioner may extend the review period for a maximum of thirty days if the applicant has not filed, in a timely manner, information deemed necessary by the office. Failure of the office to act thereon within such review period shall be deemed approval of such request. The ninety-day review period, pursuant to this section, for an application filed by a hospital, as defined in section 19a-490, and licensed as a short-term acute-care general hospital or a children's hospital by the Department of Public Health or an affiliate of such a hospital or any combination thereof, shall not apply if, in the certificate of need application or request, the hospital or applicant projects either (A) that, for the first three years of operation taken together, the total impact of the proposal on the operating budget of the hospital or an affiliate or any combination thereof will exceed one per cent of the actual operating expenses of the hospital for the most recently completed fiscal year as filed with the office, or (B) that the total capital expenditure for the project will exceed fifteen million dollars. If the office determines that an application is not subject to the ninety-day review period pursuant to this subsection, it shall remain so excluded for the entire period of that application, even if the application or circumstances change and the application no longer meets the stated terms of the exclusion. The office shall adopt regulations to establish an expedited hearing process to be used to review requests by any facility or institution for approval of a capital expenditure to establish an energy conservation program or to comply with requirements of any federal, state or local health, fire, building or life safety code or final court order. The office shall adopt regulations in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 to provide for the waiver of a hearing, for any part of a request by a facility or institution for a capital expenditure, provided such facility or institution and the office agree upon such waiver.

      (3) The office shall comply with the public notice provisions of subdivision (4) of subsection (a) of section 19a-638, and shall hold a public hearing with respect to any complete certificate of need application filed under this section, if: (A) The proposal has associated total capital expenditures or total capital costs that exceed twenty million dollars for land, building or nonclinical equipment acquisition, new building construction or building renovation; or (B) the proposal has associated total capital expenditures per unit or total capital costs per unit that exceed one million dollars for major medical equipment, imaging equipment or a linear accelerator, utilizing technology that is new or being introduced into the state; or (C) three individuals or an individual representing an entity comprised of five or more people submit a request, in writing, that a public hearing be held on the proposal. At least two weeks' notice of such public hearing shall be given to the applicant, in writing, and to the public by publication in a newspaper having a substantial circulation in the area served by the applicant. At the discretion of the office, such hearing shall be held in Hartford or in the area so served or to be served.

      (c) Notwithstanding section 19a-639a or 19a-639b, each person or facility, other than a health care or state health care facility or institution subject to subsection (a) of this section, proposing to acquire or replace imaging equipment or a linear accelerator, requiring a capital expenditure, as defined in regulations adopted pursuant to section 19a-643, in excess of four hundred thousand dollars, including the leasing or donation of such equipment and facility and including all capital expenditures, as defined in regulations adopted pursuant to said section, associated with the provision of the imaging service or operation of a linear accelerator, shall submit a request for approval of any such imaging equipment or linear accelerator acquisition pursuant to the provisions of subsection (a) of this section. In determining the capital cost or expenditure for an application under this section or section 19a-638, the office shall use the greater of (1) the fair market value of the equipment as if it were to be used for full-time operation, whether or not the equipment is to be used, shared or rented on a part-time basis, or (2) the total value or estimated value determined by the office of any capitalized lease computed for a three-year period. Each method shall include the costs of any service or financing agreements plus any other cost components or items the office specifies in regulations, adopted in accordance with chapter 54, or deems appropriate.

      (d) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 19a-638 or subsection (a) of this section, no community health center, as defined in section 19a-490a, shall be subject to the provisions of said section 19a-638 or subsection (a) of this section if the community health center is: (1) Proposing a capital expenditure not exceeding one million dollars; (2) exclusively providing primary care or dental services; and (3) either (A) one-third or more of the cost of the proposed project is financed by the state of Connecticut, (B) the proposed project is receiving funds from the Department of Public Health, or (C) the proposed project is located in an area designated by the federal Health Resources and Services Administration as a health professional shortage area, a medically underserved area or an area with a medically underserved population. Each community health center seeking an exemption under this subsection shall provide the office with documentation verifying to the satisfaction of the office, qualification for this exemption. Each community health center proposing to provide any service other than a primary care or dental service at any location, including a designated community health center location, shall first obtain a certificate of need for such additional service in accordance with this section and section 19a-638. Each satellite, subsidiary or affiliate of a federally qualified health center, in order to qualify under this exemption, shall: (i) Be part of a federally qualified health center, that meets the requirements of this subsection; (ii) exclusively provide primary care or dental services; and (iii) be located in a health professional shortage area or a medically underserved area. If the subsidiary, satellite or affiliate does not so qualify, it shall obtain a certificate of need.

      (e) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 19a-638, subsection (a) of section 19a-639a or subsection (a) of this section, no school-based health care center shall be subject to the provisions of section 19a-638 or subsection (a) of this section if the center: (1) Is or will be licensed by the Department of Public Health as an outpatient clinic; (2) has been approved by the Department of Public Health as meeting its standard model for comprehensive school-based health centers; (3) proposes capital expenditures not exceeding one million dollars and does not exceed such amount; (4) once operational, continues to operate and provide services in accordance with the department's standard model for comprehensive school-based health centers; and (5) is or will be located entirely on the property of a functioning school.

      (f) In conducting its activities under this section, section 19a-638 or under both sections, the office may hold hearings on applications of a similar nature at the same time.

      (P.A. 73-117, S. 14, 31; P.A. 77-192, S. 8, 13; P.A. 79-73; 79-98, S. 2, 4; P.A. 80-19, S. 1; 80-72, S. 1; 80-73, S. 2; 80-74; P.A. 81-159, S. 1, 3; 81-210; 81-441, S. 2; 81-465, S. 6, 9, 18; P.A. 82-415, S. 16, 18; P.A. 83-215, S. 2, 3; P.A. 85-89, S. 1, 2; P.A. 87-192, S. 2, 3; 87-420, S. 12, 14; P.A. 89-72, S. 2, 3, 5; 89-371, S. 16; P.A. 91-48, S. 2, 4; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-12, S. 11; P.A. 93-229, S. 4, 21; 93-262, S. 18, 87; 93-381, S. 9, 39; 93-435, S. 59, 95; May 25 Sp. Sess. P.A. 94-1, S. 49, 130; P.A. 95-257, S. 12, 21, 39, 47, 58; 95-338, S. 1, 3; P.A. 97-159; 97-112, S. 2; P.A. 98-150, S. 3, 17; P.A. 02-89, S. 35; P.A. 03-17, S. 2.)

      History: P.A. 77-192 divided section into Subsecs., made provisions applicable to state health care facilities and institutions, replaced Comprehensive Health Planning Agency with Health Systems Agency and added provisions re thirty-day extension period; P.A. 79-73 allowed commission to modify requests in Subsec. (b); P.A. 79-98 made provisions applicable to inpatient rehabilitation facilities affiliated with Easter Seal Society; P.A. 80-19 required adoption of regulations re expedited hearing process by January 1, 1981, in Subsec. (a); P.A. 80-72 raised applicable capital expenditure in Subsec. (a) from one hundred to one hundred fifty thousand dollars and included requests relative to "purchase of land"; P.A. 80-73 deleted reference to commission's option to "make a finding of recommendations" based on request and allowed waiver of ninety-day advance submission by three-commissioner panel in Subsec. (a) and allowed three-commissioner panel to take action in Subsec. (b); P.A. 80-74 removed Subsec. indicators, deleted redundant provision re action within ninety days, deleted thirty-day extension and required that request be submitted to appropriate health systems agency at least thirty days before submission to commission; P.A. 81-159 required commission to adopt regulations re waiver of a hearing for any part of a facility's request for a capital expenditure, provided the facility and the commission agree to the waiver; P.A. 81-210 limited the conditions and restrictions which the commission on hospitals and health care may impose when approving or modifying a request for a capital expenditure to those that are within the control of the facility; P.A. 81-441 amended the commission on hospitals and health care certificate of need review process by exempting from review outpatient, i.e. "ambulatory" services provided by a health maintenance organization; P.A. 81-465 amended Subsec. (a) to exempt home health care and homemaker-home health care agencies from commission review relative to capital expenditures or the acquisition of major medical equipment and changed the threshold for review from expenditures over one hundred fifty thousand dollars to expenditures exceeding limits set by the secretary of health and human services, deleted provision allowing three-member panel to act on requests, and Subsec. (b) re coordination of activities between commission and health systems agencies was added editorially by the Revisors; P.A. 82-415 eliminated exception for ambulatory service programs by health maintenance organizations from provision requiring submission of a request for approval of expenditures; Sec. 19-73m transferred to Sec. 19a-155 in 1983; P.A. 83-215 exempted ambulatory services established and conducted by a health maintenance organization from certificate of need review, changed the threshold for review of capital expenditures from limits set by the Secretary of Health and Human Services to six hundred thousand dollars and to four hundred thousand dollars for the acquisition of major medical equipment, provided for a fifteen day extension of the ninety day review period if additional information is requested by the commissioner or a motion to approve, modify or deny a request results in a tie vote and authorized the adoption of regulations to establish a schedule for the submission of similar requests; P.A. 85-89 amended Subsec. (a) to change the threshold for review of capital expenditures from "six hundred" to "seven hundred fourteen" thousand dollars; P.A. 87-192 substituted one million for seven hundred fourteen thousand dollar expenditure cap, added the provision re thirty-day extension of the review period upon the vote of the commission and deleted references to "ninety-day" review period; P.A. 87-420 deleted all references to health systems agency; P.A. 89-72 made technical changes in Subsecs. (a) and (b) and amended Subsec. (c) to make commission's powers under the Subsec. discretionary rather than mandatory; P.A. 89-371 added reference to Secs. 19a-167 to 19a-167g, inclusive, and to revenue caps; P.A. 91-48 amended Subsec. (a) to apply exception to outpatient rehabilitation facilities affiliated with Easter Seal Society and to give the commission ten business days instead of ten calendar days to review emergency requests under the certificate of need process and made technical changes; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-12 amended Subsec. (c) requiring the commission to adopt regulations providing for the submittal of applications for certificates in cycles; P.A. 93-229 amended Subsec. (a) re submission of letter of intent, waiver of letter if expenditure necessary to comply with fire, building or life safety code and exception to ninety-day review period and amended Subsec. (c) to change "shall" to "may" re adoption of regulations, effective June 4, 1993; P.A. 93-262 removed homemaker-home health aide agencies and added nursing homes, homes for the aged, rest homes and certain facilities for mentally retarded persons to the list of facilities which do not have to submit a request for permission to make certain expenditures, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 93-381 and P.A. 93-435 authorized substitution of commissioner and department of public health and addiction services for commissioner and department of health services, effective July 1, 1993; May 25 Sp. Sess. P.A. 94-1 removed obsolete language, effective July 1, 1994; P.A. 95-257 replaced references to Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Department of Public Health and to Commission on Hospitals and Health Care with Office of Health Care Access or Commissioner of Health Care Access, deleted reference to a tie vote of the former commission, deleted reference to 1981 deadline for regulations and required the commissioner to notify the Commissioner of Social Services of impact on the medical assistance program, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 95-338 inserted new Subsec. (c) exempting certain community health centers and relettered former Subsec. accordingly, effective July 13, 1995; Sec. 19a-155 transferred to Sec. 19a-639 in 1997; P.A. 97-112 replaced "home for the aged" with "residential care home"; P.A. 97-159 added new Subsec. (d) re exemption for school-based health care centers and redesignated former Subsec. (b) as Subsec. (e); P.A. 98-150 replaced specified exemptions with reference to sections containing exemptions, divided Subsec. (a) into two Subsecs. and relettered remaining sections accordingly, amended Subsec. (b) by adding "provider" to institution, added exception re one-time exemption, replaced reference to future budget adjustments with Subdivs. (1), (2) and language re exclusion during review process, amended Subsec. (c) by adding "or replace" to acquire, "linear accelerator" to imaging equipment, "donation" to leasing and adding language re determining capital cost or expenditure, amended Subsec. (d) by adding Subdiv. (2) re primary care or dental services, adding "proposed" to project and adding process for community health center exemption, amended Subsec. (f) by deleting obsolete authority to adopt regulations and made technical changes throughout, effective June 5, 1998; P.A. 02-89 amended Subsec. (a) to replace reference to Sec. 19a-639d with Sec. 19a-639c, reflecting repeal of Sec. 19a-639d by the same public act; P.A. 03-17 amended Subsec. (b) by dividing existing provisions into Subdivs. (1) and (2), by deleting provisions re mandatory public hearing, two weeks' notice and place of hearing, by adding Subdiv. (3) providing for public hearings only under certain circumstances and by making conforming changes.

      Annotations to former section 19-73m:

      Cited. 182 C. 314, 315, 317.

      Cited. 34 CS 225, 227-229, 231, 235, 237, 241.

      Annotations to former section 19a-155:

      Section is compatible and can coexist with Sec. 19a-156. 200 C. 133-137, 142-145. Cited. 210 C. 697, 698. Cited. 214 C. 321, 323, 331, 333. Cited. 226 C. 105, 108, 113, 134. Cited. 235 C. 128, 131, 141. Cited. 238 C. 216.

      Cited. 2 CA 68, 69, 73, 74, 78, 80.

      Subsec. (a):

      Cited. 200 C. 133, 143. Cited. 214 C. 321, 325. Cited. 226 C. 105, 110, 142.

      Subsec. (b):

      Cited. 214 C. 321, 325.

      Subsec. (c):

      Cited. 226 C. 105, 134.