Part III. Mandatory Requirements
12VAC5-220-100. Requirements for reviewable medical care facility projects; exceptions.
A. Prior to initiating a reviewable medical care facility project the owner or sponsor shall obtain a certificate of public need from the commissioner. In the case of an acquisition of an existing medical care facility, the notification requirement set forth in 12VAC5-220-120 shall be met.
B. Projects involving a temporary increase in the total number of beds in an existing hospital or nursing home shall be exempt from the requirement for a certificate, for a period of no more than 30 days, if the commissioner has determined that a natural or man-made disaster has caused the evacuation of a hospital or nursing home and that a public health emergency exists due to a shortage of hospital or nursing home beds.
Statutory Authority
§§ 32.1-12 and 32.1-102.2 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from VR355-30-000 § 3.1, eff. June 30, 1993; amended, Virginia Register Volume 10, Issue 17, eff. June 15, 1994; Volume 35, Issue 24, eff. August 23, 2019.
12VAC5-220-105. Requirements for registration of the replacement of existing medical equipment.
Within 30 days of any person contracting to make, or otherwise legally obligating to make, a capital expenditure for the replacement of medical equipment or otherwise acquiring replacement medical equipment for the provision of services listed in subdivision 7 of the definition of "project" in 12VAC5-220-10, the person shall register in writing such equipment replacement with the commissioner and the appropriate regional health planning agency. Such registration shall be made on forms provided by the department. The registration shall identify the specific unit of equipment to be replaced and the estimated capital cost of the replacement and shall include documentation that the equipment to be replaced has previously been authorized or exempted as allowed by law.
Statutory Authority
§§ 32.1-12 and 32.1-102.2 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 14, Issue 12, eff. April 2, 1998; amended, Virginia Register Volume 19, Issue 8, eff. February 3, 2003; Volume 26, Issue 2, eff. November 1, 2009.
12VAC5-220-110. Requirements for registration of certain capital expenditures.
A. At least 30 days before any person contracts to make or is otherwise legally obligated to make a capital expenditure by or on behalf of a medical care facility as defined in this chapter that has not been previously authorized by the commissioner, such expenditure shall be registered in writing with the commissioner. The threshold amount for capital expenditure project registration shall be determined using the formula contained in subsection B of this section.
B. The threshold contained in subsection A of this section shall be adjusted annually using the percentage increase listed in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) for the most recent year as follows:
A x (1+B)
where:
A = the capital expenditure threshold amount for the previous year
and
B = the percent increase for the expense category "Medical Care" listed in the most recent year available of the CPI-U of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
C. The format for registration shall include information concerning the purpose of such expenditure and projected impact that the expenditure will have upon the charges for services. For purposes of registration, the owner shall include any person making the affected capital expenditure. See definition of "project."
D. Annually, the department shall (i) publish the threshold amount in the General Notices section of the Virginia Register of Regulations and (ii) post the threshold amount on its website.
Statutory Authority
§ 32.1-102.2 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from VR355-30-000 § 3.2, eff. June 30, 1993; amended, Virginia Register Volume 10, Issue 17, eff. June 15, 1994; Volume 13, Issue 7, eff. January 24, 1997; Volume 24, Issue 11, eff. March 5, 2008; Volume 25, Issue 1, eff. October 15, 2008; Volume 26, Issue 2, eff. November 1, 2009; Volume 26, Issue 26, eff. September 30, 2010; Volume 27, Issue 24, eff. September 1, 2011; Volume 30, Issue 8, eff. February 3, 2014.
12VAC5-220-120. Requirement for notification of proposed acquisition of medical care facility.
At least 30 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 provide written notification to the commissioner and the regional health planning agency that serves the area in which the facility is located. Such notification shall identify the name of the medical care facility, the current and proposed owner, the cost of the acquisition, the services to be added or deleted, the number of beds to be added or deleted, and the projected impact that the cost of the acquisition will have upon the charges of the services to be provided in the medical care facility. The commissioner shall provide written notification to the person who plans to acquire the medical care facility within 30 days of receipt of the required notification. If the commissioner finds that a reviewable clinical health service or beds are 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 such certificate is required, an application will be considered under an appropriate batch group which will be identified at the time of written notification by the commissioner to the applicant for such acquisition.
Statutory Authority
§§ 32.1-12 and 32.1-102.2 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from VR355-30-000 § 3.3, eff. June 30, 1993; amended, Virginia Register Volume 10, Issue 17, eff. June 15, 1994.
12VAC5-220-130. Significant change limitation.
No significant change in a project for which a certificate of public need has been issued shall be made without prior written approval of the commissioner. Such request for a significant change shall be made in writing by the owner to the commissioner with a copy to the appropriate regional health planning agency. The owner shall also submit the application fee to the department if applicable at the time the written request is made. The written request shall identify the nature and purpose of the change. The regional health planning agency shall review the proposed change and notify the commissioner of its recommendation with respect to the change within 30 days from receipt of the request by both the department and the regional health planning agency. Failure of the regional health planning agency to notify the commissioner within the 30-day period shall constitute a recommendation of approval. The commissioner shall act on the significant change request within 35 days of receipt. A public hearing during the review of a proposed significant change request is not required unless determined necessary by the commissioner. The commissioner shall not approve a significant change in cost for a project which exceeds the authorized capital expenditure by more than 20%. The commissioner shall not extend the schedule for completion of a project beyond three years from the date of issuance of the certificate or beyond the time period approved by the commissioner at the date of certificate issuance, whichever is greater, except when delays in completion of a project have been caused by events beyond the control of the owner and the owner has made substantial and continuing progress toward completion of the project.
Exception: The commissioner may approve a significant change in cost for an approved project that exceeds the authorized capital expenditure by more than 20%, 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 for the project as approved.
Statutory Authority
§§ 32.1-12 and 32.1-102.2 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from VR355-30-000 § 3.4, eff. June 30, 1993; amended, Virginia Register Volume 10, Issue 17, eff. June 15, 1994; Volume 24, Issue 11, eff. March 5, 2008.
12VAC5-220-140. Requirements for health maintenance organizations (HMO).
An HMO must obtain a certificate of public need prior to initiating a project. Such HMO must also adhere to the requirements for the acquisition of medical care facilities if appropriate. See definition of "project" and 12VAC5-220-10.
Statutory Authority
§§ 32.1-12 and 32.1-102.2 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from VR355-30-000 § 3.5, eff. June 30, 1993; amended, Virginia Register Volume 10, Issue 17, eff. June 15, 1994; amended, Virginia Register Volume 13, Issue 7, eff. January 24, 1997.
12VAC5-220-150. (Repealed.)
Historical Notes
Derived from VR355-30-000 § 3.6, eff. June 30, 1993; amended, Virginia Register Volume 10, Issue 17, eff. June 15, 1994; Volume 13, Issue 7, eff. January 24, 1997; Volume 14, Issue 12, eff. April 2, 1998; repealed, Virginia Register Volume 19, Issue 8, eff. February 3, 2003.
12VAC5-220-155. Requirements for the reporting of charity care.
Every medical care facility subject to the requirements of Article 1.1 (§ 32.1-102.1 et seq.) of Chapter 4 of Title 32.1 of the Code of Virginia, other than a nursing home, that is not a medical care facility for which a certificate with conditions imposed pursuant to § 32.1-102.4 F of the Code of Virginia has been issued and that provides charity care, as defined in § 32.1-102.1 of the Code of Virginia, shall annually report to the commissioner the amount of charity care provided.
Statutory Authority
§§ 32.1-12 and 32.1-102.2 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 35, Issue 24, eff. August 23, 2019.