CHAPTER 368z
OFFICE OF HEALTH CARE ACCESS

      Sec. 19a-630. (Formerly Sec. 19a-145). Definitions. As used in this chapter:

      (1) "Health care facility or institution" means any facility or institution engaged primarily in providing services for the prevention, diagnosis or treatment of human health conditions, including, but not limited to: Outpatient clinics; outpatient surgical facilities; imaging centers; home health agencies and mobile field hospitals, as defined in section 19a-490; clinical laboratory or central service facilities serving one or more health care facilities, practitioners or institutions; hospitals; nursing homes; rest homes; nonprofit health centers; diagnostic and treatment facilities; rehabilitation facilities; and mental health facilities. "Health care facility or institution" includes any parent company, subsidiary, affiliate or joint venture, or any combination thereof, of any such facility or institution, but does not include any health care facility operated by a nonprofit educational institution solely for the students, faculty and staff of such institution and their dependents, or any Christian Science sanatorium operated, or listed and certified, by the First Church of Christ, Scientist, Boston, Massachusetts.

      (2) "State health care facility or institution" means a hospital or other such facility or institution operated by the state providing services which are eligible for reimbursement under Title XVIII or XIX of the federal Social Security Act, 42 USC Section 301 et seq., as amended.

      (3) "Office" means the Office of Health Care Access.

      (4) "Commissioner" means the Commissioner of Health Care Access.

      (5) "Person" has the meaning assigned to it in section 4-166.

      (P.A. 73-117, S. 2, 31; 73-616, S. 59; P.A. 75-562, S. 1, 8; P.A. 77-192, S. 1, 13; 77-601, S. 6, 11; 77-614, S. 323, 610; P.A. 78-109, S. 1, 2, 6; P.A. 86-374, S. 1, 6; P.A. 87-420, S. 13, 14; P.A. 89-72, S. 4, 5; P.A. 93-381, S. 9, 39; P.A. 94-174, S. 4, 12; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 94-3, S. 19, 28; P.A. 95-257, S. 12, 21, 39, 41, 58; P.A. 98-150, S. 1, 17; P.A. 99-172, S. 2, 7; P.A. 00-27, S. 23, 24; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-3, S. 30; P.A. 04-249, S. 4; P.A. 05-280, S. 61; P.A. 06-196, S. 213; P.A. 07-252, S. 69.)

      History: P.A. 73-616 excluded from consideration as health care facility or institution facilities operated by nonprofit educational institution solely for students, faculty and staff and their dependents; P.A. 75-562 defined "commission" and "commissioner" and extended applicability beyond chapter; P.A. 77-192 defined "state health care facility or institution"; P.A. 77-601 included homemaker-home health aide agencies as health care facilities and institutions; P.A. 77-614 replaced commissioner of health with commissioner of health services, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 78-109 excluded Christian Science sanatoriums from consideration as health care facilities or institutions and specified that state health care facility or institution is one which provides services reimbursable under Title XVIII or XIX of Social Security Act; Sec. 19-73b transferred to Sec. 19a-145 in 1983; P.A. 86-374 deleted coordination, assessment and monitoring agencies from definition of health care facility or institution; P.A. 87-420 deleted an obsolete reference to Sec. 19a-7; P.A. 89-72 changed "diagnosis and treatment" to "diagnosis or treatment"; P.A. 93-381 replaced commissioner of health services with commissioner of public health and addiction services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 94-174 made technical changes in Subsec. (a) and added new Subsec. (b) defining "clinical laboratory" for certificate of need purposes, effective June 6, 1994; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 94-3 amended Subsec. (a) to add outpatient clinics, free-standing outpatient surgical facilities and imaging centers to the definition of health care facilities and to specify that such facilities include any parent company, subsidiary affiliate, joint venture or combination of such, effective July 1, 1994; P.A. 95-257 replaced reference to Secs. 17b-238 and 19a-114 with reference to chapter 368z, Commission on Hospitals and Health Care with Office of Health Care Access and Commissioner of Public Health and Addiction Services with Commissioner of Health Care Access, effective July 1, 1995; Sec. 19a-145 transferred to Sec. 19a-630 in 1997; P.A. 98-150 changed Subdiv. designations from letters to numbers, amended Subdiv. (1) to change "home health care agencies" to "home health agencies", delete "homemaker-home health aide agencies", change "personal care homes" to "residential care homes" add "rest homes" and delete reference to municipal outpatient clinics, added new Subdiv. (5) defining "affiliate" and deleted former Subsec. (b) defining "clinical laboratory", effective June 5, 1998; P.A. 99-172 replaced former Subdiv. (5) defining "affiliate" with new Subdiv. (5) defining "person", effective June 23, 1999; P.A. 00-27 made technical changes in Subdiv. (1), effective May 1, 2000; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-3 amended Subdiv. (1) by deleting "residential care homes" from definition of "health care facility or institution", effective August 20, 2003; P.A. 04-249 amended Subdiv. (1) by changing "free standing outpatient surgical facilities" to "outpatient surgical facilities", effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 05-280 amended Subdiv. (1) by including critical access hospital in definition of "health care facility or institution", effective July 1, 2005; P.A. 06-196 made technical changes in Subdiv. (1), effective June 7, 2006; P.A. 07-252 substituted "mobile field hospitals" for "critical access hospitals" in definition of "health care facility or institution", effective July 12, 2007.

      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 (1) a capital expenditure exceeding three million dollars, (2) to purchase, lease or accept donation of major medical equipment requiring a capital expenditure, as defined in regulations adopted pursuant to section 19a-643, in excess of three million dollars, or (3) to purchase, lease or accept donation of a CT scanner, PET scanner, PET/CT scanner or MRI scanner, cineangiography equipment, a linear accelerator or other similar equipment utilizing technology that is new or being introduced into this state, including the purchase, lease 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 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 for at least sixty days. A current letter of intent is a letter of intent that 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 not later than five business days from the date the office receives the extension request 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 maintain continued access to the health care services provided by the facility or institution, or 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 not later than ninety days or not later than ten business days, as the case may be, after receipt of such request, 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 upon such request 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, in accordance with chapter 54, 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; (B) the proposal has associated total capital expenditures per unit or total capital costs per unit that exceed three million dollars for the purchase, lease or donation acceptance of major medical equipment; (C) the proposal is for the purchase, lease or donation acceptance of equipment utilizing technology that is new or being introduced into the state, including scanning equipment, cineangiography equipment, a linear accelerator or other similar equipment; or (D) 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 and such request is received by the office not later than twenty-one calendar days after the office deems the certificate of need application complete. 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) Each person or provider, other than a health care or state health care facility or institution subject to subsection (a) of this section, proposing to purchase, lease, accept donation of or replace (1) major medical equipment with a capital expenditure in excess of three million dollars, or (2) a CT scanner, PET scanner, PET/CT scanner or MRI scanner, cineangiography equipment, a linear accelerator or other similar equipment utilizing technology that is new or being introduced into the state, shall submit a request for approval of any such purchase, lease, donation or replacement 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 (A) 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 (B) 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 three million dollars; (2) exclusively providing primary care or dental services; and (3) either (A) financing one-third or more of the cost of the proposed project with moneys provided by the state of Connecticut, (B) receiving funds from the Department of Public Health for the proposed project, or (C) locating the proposed project 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) proposes capital expenditures not exceeding three million dollars and does not exceed such amount; (3) once operational, continues to operate and provide services in accordance with the department's licensing standards for comprehensive school-based health centers; and (4) is or will be located entirely on the property of a functioning school.

      (f) In conducting its activities under this section or 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; P.A. 05-75, S. 3; 05-93, S. 2-4; 05-151, S. 4; P.A. 06-28, S. 2; 06-64, S. 7; 06-196, S. 243, 244; P.A. 07-149, S. 3, 4; 07-217, S. 83.)

      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 30-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 $100,000 to $150,000 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 90-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 90 days, deleted 30-day extension and required that request be submitted to appropriate health systems agency at least 30 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 $150,000 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 $600,000 and to $400,000 for the acquisition of major medical equipment, provided for a 15-day extension of the 90-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 $600,000 to $714,000; P.A. 87-192 substituted $1,000,000 for $714,000 expenditure cap, added the provision re 30-day extension of the review period upon the vote of the commission and deleted references to 90-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 10 business days instead of 10 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 90-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, added Subsec. (d)(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; P.A. 05-75 amended Subsec. (b) by making technical changes and adding provision in Subdiv. (3) establishing a 21 calendar day deadline for requesting a public hearing on a completed certificate of need application; P.A. 05-93 amended Subsec. (a) by adding Subdiv. designators and eliminating, with certain exceptions, the $400,000 capital expenditure threshold for certificate of need review of proposals involving the purchase, lease or donation acceptance of various types of scanning equipment and linear accelerators, amended Subsec. (b)(3) by extending the public hearing requirement to certificate of need applications involving the purchase, lease or donation acceptance of various types of scanning equipment and linear accelerators, and amended Subsec. (c) by extending the certificate of need approval process to providers, rather than facilities, proposing to purchase, lease or accept donation of various types of scanning equipment and linear accelerators and by making conforming changes, effective July 1, 2005; P.A. 05-151 amended Subsec. (e) by deleting former Subdiv. (2) re school-based health centers, redesignating existing Subdivs. (3) to (5) as new Subdivs. (2) to (4) and replacing "standard model" with "licensing standards" in redesignated Subdiv. (3); P.A. 06-28 amended Subsecs. (a) to (e), inclusive, by increasing the capital expenditure threshold and major medical equipment acquisition threshold for certificate of need review to $3,000,000, effective July 1, 2006; P.A. 06-64 amended Subsec. (b)(2) by allowing waiver of letter of intent requirement when a capital expenditure is necessary to maintain continued access to health care services provided by a facility or institution, effective July 1, 2006; P.A. 06-196 made technical changes in Subsecs. (a) and (c), effective June 7, 2006; P.A. 07-149 made technical changes in Subsecs. (b) and (d); P.A. 07-217 made technical changes in Subsec. (f), effective July 12, 2007.

      Sec. 19a-639a. Certificate of need. Exemptions. Registration of exempt institutions. (a) Except as provided in subsection (c) of section 19a-639 or as required in subsection (b) of this section, the provisions of section 19a-638 and subsection (a) of section 19a-639 shall not apply to: (1) An outpatient clinic or program operated exclusively by, or contracted to be operated exclusively for, a municipality or municipal agency, a health district, as defined in section 19a-240, or a board of education; (2) a residential facility for the mentally retarded licensed pursuant to section 17a-227 and certified to participate in the Title XIX Medicaid program as an intermediate care facility for the mentally retarded; (3) an outpatient rehabilitation service agency that was in operation on January 1, 1998, that is operated exclusively on an outpatient basis and that is eligible to receive reimbursement under section 17b-243; (4) a clinical laboratory; (5) an assisted living services agency; (6) an outpatient service offering chronic dialysis; (7) a program of ambulatory services established and conducted by a health maintenance organization; (8) a home health agency; (9) a clinic operated by the Americares Foundation; (10) a nursing home; or (11) a rest home. The exemptions provided in this section shall not apply when a nursing home or rest home is, or will be created, acquired, operated or in any other way related to or affiliated with, or under the complete or partial ownership or control of a facility or institution or affiliate subject to the provisions of section 19a-638 or subsection (a) of section 19a-639.

      (b) Each health care facility or institution exempted under this section shall register with the office by filing the information required by subdivision (4) of subsection (a) of section 19a-638 for a letter of intent at least ten business days but not more than sixty calendar days prior to commencing operations and prior to changing, expanding, terminating or relocating any facility or service otherwise covered by section 19a-638 or subsection (a) of section 19a-639 or covered by both sections or subsections, except that, if the facility or institution is in operation on June 5, 1998, said information shall be filed not more than sixty days after said date. Not later than ten business days after the office receives a completed filing required under this subsection, the office shall provide the health care facility or institution with written acknowledgment of receipt. Such acknowledgment shall constitute permission to operate or change, expand, terminate or relocate such a facility or institution or to make an expenditure consistent with an authorization received under subsection (a) of section 19a-639 until the next September thirtieth. Each entity exempted under this section shall renew its exemption by filing current information once every two years in September.

      (c) Each health care facility, institution or provider that proposes to purchase, lease or accept donation of a CT scanner, PET scanner, PET/CT scanner or MRI scanner, cineangiography equipment or a linear accelerator shall be exempt from certificate of need review pursuant to sections 19a-638 and 19a-639 if such facility, institution or provider (1) provides to the office satisfactory evidence that it purchased or leased such equipment for under four hundred thousand dollars on or before July 1, 2005, and such equipment was in operation on or before July 1, 2006, or (2) obtained, on or before July 1, 2005, from the office, a certificate of need or a determination that a certificate of need was not required for the purchase, lease or donation acceptance of such equipment.

      (d) The Office of Health Care Access shall, in its discretion, exempt from certificate of need review pursuant to sections 19a-638 and 19a-639 any health care facility or institution that proposes to purchase or operate an electronic medical records system on or after October 1, 2005.

      (P.A. 98-150, S. 4, 17; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-3, S. 90; P.A. 05-93, S. 5; 05-151, S. 5; 05-168, S. 4; P.A. 06-28, S. 3; P.A. 07-217, S. 84.)

      History: P.A. 98-150 effective June 5, 1998 (Revisor's note: In codifying this section the Revisors editorially changed a reference in Subsec. (b) to "... September thirty." to "... September thirtieth."); June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-3 amended Subsec. (a) to delete references to residential care home and make a technical change, effective August 20, 2003; P.A. 05-93 amended Subsec. (a) by adding exception re Sec. 19a-639(c) and making a technical change, and added Subsec. (c), exempting health care facilities, institutions and providers that purchase, lease or accept donation of certain scanning equipment or linear accelerators on or before July 1, 2005, or that obtain certificate of need approval or a determination that a certificate of need is not required on or before said date, effective July 1, 2005; P.A. 05-151 amended Subsec. (b) by requiring biennial, rather than annual, registration of exempt institutions; P.A. 05-168 added new Subsec. (d) exempting from certificate of need review, at office's discretion, proposals involving the purchase or operation of an electronic medical records system on or after October 1, 2005; P.A. 06-28 amended Subsec. (c)(1) by restricting exemption from certificate of need review to proposals involving certain equipment in operation on or before July 1, 2006, effective May 8, 2006; P.A. 07-217 made a technical change in Subsec. (c), effective July 12, 2007.

      Sec. 19a-639b. Certificate of need. Exemption for nonprofit institutions; application. (a) The Commissioner of Health Care Access or the commissioner's designee may grant an exemption from the requirements of section 19a-638 or subsection (a) of section 19a-639, or both, for any nonprofit facility, institution or provider that is currently under contract with a state agency or department and is seeking to engage in any activity, other than the termination of a service or a facility, otherwise subject to said section or subsection if:

      (1) The nonprofit facility, institution or provider is proposing a capital expenditure of not more than three million dollars and the expenditure does not in fact exceed three million dollars;

      (2) The activity meets a specific service need identified by a state agency or department with which the nonprofit facility, institution or provider is currently under contract;

      (3) The commissioner, executive director, chairman or chief court administrator of the state agency or department that has identified the specific need confirms, in writing, to the office that (A) the agency or department has identified a specific need with a detailed description of that need and that the agency or department believes that the need continues to exist, (B) the activity in question meets all or part of the identified need and specifies how much of that need the proposal meets, (C) in the case where the activity is the relocation of services, the agency or department has determined that the needs of the area previously served will continue to be met in a better or satisfactory manner and specifies how that is to be done, (D) in the case where the activity is the transfer of all or part of the ownership or control of a facility or institution, the agency or department has investigated the proposed change and the person or entity requesting the change and has determined that the change would be in the best interests of the state and the patients or clients, and (E) the activity will be cost-effective and well managed; and

      (4) In the case where the activity is the relocation of services, the Commissioner of Health Care Access or the commissioner's designee determines that the needs of the area previously served will continue to be met in a better or satisfactory manner.

      (b) The Commissioner of Health Care Access or the commissioner's designee may grant an exemption from the requirements of section 19a-638 or subsection (a) of section 19a-639, or both, for any nonprofit facility, institution or provider that is currently under contract with a state agency or department and is seeking to terminate a service or a facility, provided (1) the commissioner, executive director, chairperson or chief court administrator of the state agency or department with which the nonprofit facility, institution or provider is currently under contract confirms, in writing, to the office that the needs of the area previously served will continue to be met in a better or satisfactory manner and specifies how that is to be done, and (2) the Commissioner of Health Care Access or the commissioner's designee determines that the needs of the area previously served will continue to be met in a better or satisfactory manner.

      (c) A nonprofit facility, institution or provider seeking an exemption under this section shall provide the office with any information it needs to determine exemption eligibility. An exemption granted under this section shall be limited to part or all of any services, equipment, expenditures or location directly related to the need or location that the state agency or department has identified.

      (d) The office may revoke or modify the scope of the exemption at any time following a public review that allows the state agency or department and the nonprofit facility, institution or provider to address specific, identified, changed conditions or any problems that the state agency, department or the office has identified. A party to any exemption modification or revocation proceeding and the original requesting agency shall be given at least fourteen calendar days written notice prior to any action by the office and shall be furnished with a copy, if any, of a revocation or modification request or a statement by the office of the problems that have been brought to its attention. If the requesting commissioner, executive director, chairman or chief court administrator or the Commissioner of Health Care Access certifies that an emergency condition exists, only forty-eight hours written notice shall be required for such modification or revocation action to proceed.

      (P.A. 98-150, S. 5, 17; P.A. 06-28, S. 4; 06-64, S. 8; P.A. 07-149, S. 5.)

      History: P.A. 98-150 effective June 5, 1998; P.A. 06-28 amended Subsec. (a)(1) by increasing the capital expenditure threshold from $1,000,000 to $3,000,000, effective July 1, 2006; P.A. 06-64 amended Subsec. (a) to restrict exemption to nonprofits currently under contract with a state agency or department, to make a conforming change and delete current need determination requirement imposed upon Office of Health Care Access in Subdiv. (2), and to add Subdiv. (4) re needs determination requirement with respect to exemptions involving relocation of services, added new Subsec. (b) re criteria for granting exemptions involving termination of a service or facility and redesignated existing Subsecs. (b) and (c) as Subsecs. (c) and (d), effective July 1, 2006; P.A. 07-149 made technical changes in Subsecs. (a) and (b).

      Sec. 19a-646. (Formerly Sec. 19a-166). Negotiation of discounts and different rates and methods of payments with hospitals. Filing with the office. (a) As used in this section:

      (1) "Office" means the Office of Health Care Access;

      (2) "Fiscal year" means the hospital fiscal year, as used for purposes of this chapter, consisting of a twelve-month period commencing on October first and ending the following September thirtieth;

      (3) "Hospital" means any short-term acute care general or children's hospital licensed by the Department of Public Health, including the John Dempsey Hospital of The University of Connecticut Health Center;

      (4) "Payer" means any person, legal entity, governmental body or eligible organization that meets the definition of an eligible organization under 42 USC Section 1395mm (b) of the Social Security Act, or any combination thereof, except for Medicare and Medicaid which is or may become legally responsible, in whole or in part for the payment of services rendered to or on behalf of a patient by a hospital. Payer also includes any legal entity whose membership includes one or more payers and any third-party payer; and

      (5) "Prompt payment" means payment made for services to a hospital by mail or other means on or before the tenth business day after receipt of the bill by the payer.

      (b) No hospital shall provide a discount or different rate or method of reimbursement from the filed rates or charges to any payer except as provided in this section.

      (c) (1) From April 1, 1994, to June 30, 2002, any payer may directly negotiate for a different rate and method of reimbursement with a hospital provided the charges and payments for the payer are reported in accordance with this subsection. No discount agreement or agreement for a different rate or method of reimbursement shall be effective until filed with the office.

      (2) On and after July 1, 2002, any payer may directly negotiate with a hospital for a different rate or method of reimbursement, or both, provided the charges and payments for the payer are on file at the hospital business office in accordance with this subsection. No discount agreement or agreement for a different rate or method of reimbursement, or both, shall be effective until a complete written agreement between the hospital and the payer is on file at the hospital. Each such agreement shall be available to the office for inspection or submission to the office upon request, for at least three years after the close of the applicable fiscal year.

      (3) On and after April 1, 1994, the charges and payments for each payer receiving a discount shall be accumulated by the hospital for each payer and reported as required by the office. The office may require a review by the hospital's independent auditor, at the hospital's expense, to determine compliance with this subsection.

      (4) From October 2, 1991, to June 30, 2002, a full written copy of each agreement executed pursuant to this subsection shall be filed with the Office of Health Care Access by each hospital executing such an agreement, no later than ten business days after such agreement is executed. On and after July 1, 2002, a full written copy of each agreement executed pursuant to this subsection shall be on file in the hospital business office within twenty-four hours of execution. Each agreement filed shall specify on its face that it was executed and filed pursuant to this subsection. Agreements filed at the Office of Health Care Access, in accordance with this subsection, shall be considered trade secrets pursuant to subdivision (5) of subsection (b) of section 1-210 except that the office may utilize and distribute data derived from such agreements, including the names of the parties to the agreement, the duration and dates of the agreement and the estimated value of any discount or alternate rate of payment.

      (d) A payer may negotiate with a hospital to obtain a discount on rates or charges for prompt payment.

      (e) A payer may also negotiate for and may receive a discount for the provision of the following administrative services: (1) A system which permits the hospital to bill the payer through either a computer-processed or machine-readable or similar billing procedure; (2) a system which enables the hospital to verify coverage of a patient by the payer at the time the service is provided; and (3) a guarantee of payment within the scope of the agreement between the patient and the third-party payer for service to the patient prior to the provision of that service.

      (f) No hospital may require a payer to negotiate for another element or any combination of the above elements of a discount, as established in subsections (d) and (e) of this section, in order to negotiate for or obtain a discount for any single element. No hospital may require a payer to negotiate a discount for all patients covered by such payer in order to negotiate a discount for any patient or group of patients covered by such payer.

      (g) Any hospital which agrees to provide a discount to a payer under subsection (d) or (e) of this section shall file a copy of the agreement in the hospital's business office and shall provide the same discount to any other payer who agrees to make prompt payment or provide administrative services similar to that contained in the agreement. Each agreement filed shall specify on its face that it was executed and filed pursuant to this subsection. The office shall disallow any agreement which gives a discount pursuant to the terms of subsections (d) and (e) of this section which is in excess of the maximum amount set forth in said subsections. No such agreement shall be contingent on volume or drafted in such a manner as to limit the discount to one or more payers by establishing criteria unique to such payers. Any payer aggrieved under this subsection may petition the office for an order directing the hospital to provide a similar discount. The office shall adopt regulations in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 to carry out the provisions of this subsection.

      (h) (1) Nothing in this section shall be construed to require payment by any payer or purchaser, under any program or contract for payment or reimbursement of expenses for health care services, for: (A) Services not covered under such program or contract; or (B) that portion of any charge for services furnished by a hospital that exceeds the amount covered by such program or contract.

      (2) Nothing in this section shall be construed to supersede or modify any provision of such program or contract that requires payment of a copayment, deductible or enrollment fee or that imposes any similar requirement.

      (i) A hospital which has established a program approved by the office with one or more banks for the purpose of reducing the hospital's bad debt load, may reduce its published charges for that portion of a patient's bill for services which a payer who is a private individual is or may become legally responsible for, after all other insurers or third-party payers have been assessed their full charges provided (1) prior to the rendering of such services, the hospital and the individual payer or parent or guardian or custodian have agreed in writing that after receipt of any insurer or third-party payment paid in accordance with the full hospital charges the remaining payment due from the private individual for such reduced charges shall be made in whole or in part from the balance on deposit in a bank account which has been established by or on behalf of such individual patient, and (2) such payment is made from such account. Nothing in this section shall relieve a patient or legally liable person from being responsible for the full amount of any underpayment of the hospital's authorized charges excluding any discount under this section, by a patient's insurer or any other third-party payer for that insurer's or third-party payer's portion of the bill. Any reduction in charges granted to an individual or parent or guardian or custodian under this subsection shall be reported to the office as a contractual allowance. For purposes of this section "private individual" shall include a patient's parent, legal guardian or legal custodian but shall not include an insurer or third-party payer.

      (P.A. 84-323, S. 2, 6; P.A. 85-613, S. 51, 154; P.A. 91-258, S. 3, 4; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-11, S. 22, 25; P.A. 93-229, S. 5, 21; P.A. 93-381, S. 9, 39; P.A. 94-9, S. 34, 41; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 94-3, S. 21, 28; P.A. 95-257, S. 12, 21, 39, 58; June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-2, S. 94, 165; P.A. 02-101, S. 4; P.A. 07-149, S. 6.)

      History: P.A. 85-613 made technical change; P.A. 91-258 amended Subsec. (c) to add a requirement that a copy of each agreement reached under Subsec. (c) be filed with the commission on hospitals and health care, amended Subsecs. (c) and (g) to require that agreements specify that they have been executed and filed pursuant to those Subsecs. and made technical changes; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-11 amended Subsec. (c) to clarify that required agreements be filed until July 1, 1992, and to exempt the names of the parties to agreements from freedom of information provisions; P.A. 93-229 amended Subsec. (a) to delete definition of "Blue Cross", renumbering Subdivs. as necessary, amended Subsec. (c) to insert Subdiv. indicators, to limit Subdiv. (1) to the time period prior to October 1, 1993, and to add new Subdiv. (2) re negotiation commencing October 1, 1993, to amend Subdiv. (3) re commission not including discount in calculation of authorized gross revenue and addition of discount to actual net revenues for fiscal year and to amend Subdiv. (4) to delete provision exempting names of parties from freedom of information provisions, deleted Subsec. (h) an obsolete provision re Blue Cross discount, added new Subsec. (i) re hospital establishing programs with banks to reduce bad debt load and made technical changes, effective June 4, 1993; P.A. 93-381 replaced department of health services with department of public health and addiction services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 94-9 amended Subsec. (a) to add eligible organizations under 42 USC 1395mm(b) to the definition of payer, Subsec. (c) to add new Subdivs. (3) and (4) re discounts permitted and requirements after April 1, 1994, deleting former Subdiv. (3) re prohibition on cost of discount being borne by patients not covered and relettering former Subdiv. (4) as Subdiv. (5) and added provision re agreements considered trade secrets, and made technical changes, effective April 1, 1994; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 94-3 amended Subsec. (c)(5) to specifically authorize use of names of parties, duration and dates and estimated value, effective July 1, 1994; P.A. 95-257 replaced Commission on Hospitals and Health Care with Office of Health Care Access and replaced Commissioner and Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Commissioner and Department of Public Health, effective July 1, 1995; Sec. 19a-166 transferred to Sec. 19a-646 in 1997; June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-2 amended Subsec. (a) to make a technical change, effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 02-101 amended Subsec. (a)(3) to redefine "hospital" to include a "children's" hospital, amended Subsec. (a)(4) to change the cite to federal law from "42 USC Section 1395mm(b)" to "Section 1876 of the Social Security Act", amended Subsec. (b) to add the prohibition against a different rate or method of reimbursement, amended Subsec. (c) to delete obsolete Subdivs. (1) and (2) to renumber existing Subdiv. (3) as Subdiv. (1) and limit it to the period from April 1, 1994, to June 30, 2002, to add a new Subdiv. (2) re payer negotiation, on and after July 1, 2002, for a different rate or method of reimbursement, renumbered Subdivs. (4) and (5) as Subdivs. (3) and (4), in new Subdiv. (4) applied requirement for a written copy to be filed with the Office of Health Care Access to agreements executed during the period from October 2, 1991, to June 30, 2002, and added requirement for agreements executed on and after July 1, 2002, to be filed in hospital business office within 48 hours of execution, and amended Subsecs. (f) and (g) to make technical changes, effective July 1, 2002; P.A. 07-149 amended Subsec. (a) by redefining "fiscal year", "hospital" and "payer", effective July 1, 2007.

      Sec. 19a-649. (Formerly Sec. 19a-167f). Uncompensated care. Audits. Annual reports. (a) The office, in consultation with the Commissioner of Social Services, shall review annually the level of uncompensated care provided by each hospital to the indigent. Each hospital shall file annually with the office its policies regarding the provision of charity care and reduced cost services to the indigent, excluding medical assistance recipients, and its debt collection practices. Each hospital shall obtain an independent audit of the level of charges, payments and discharges by primary payer related to Medicare, medical assistance, CHAMPUS or TriCare and nongovernmental payers as well as the amount of uncompensated care including emergency assistance to families. The results of this audit, including the above information, with an opinion, shall be provided to the office by each hospital by March thirty-first of each year, and the hospital's audited financial statements shall be provided by February twenty-eighth of each year. For purposes of this section, "primary payer" means the payer responsible for the highest percentage of charges for a patient's inpatient or outpatient hospital services. The office shall evaluate the audit and may rely on the information contained in the independent audit or may require such additional audit as it deems necessary.

      (b) Each hospital shall annually report, along with data submitted pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, (1) the number of applicants for charity care and reduced cost services, (2) the number of approved applicants, and (3) the total and average charges and costs of the amount of charity care and reduced cost services provided.

      (P.A. 89-371, S. 7; Nov. Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-2, S. 12, 27; P.A. 93-44, S. 7, 24; 93-229, S. 7, 21; 93-262, S. 1, 87; P.A. 95-257, S. 39, 58; P.A. 03-266, S. 1; P.A. 06-64, S. 13; P.A. 07-149, S. 7.)

      History: Nov. Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-2 authorized commission to perform audits as part of its evaluation; P.A. 93-44 included emergency assistance to families in uncompensated care, required hospitals to obtain an independent audit and file results of audit on February twenty-eighth annually, where previously commission conducted audit or contracted for independent audit, effective April 23, 1993; P.A. 93-229 added provision re audit by primary payer designation, deleted reference re February twenty-eighth audited financial statements on a separate and distinct schedule and added new language re providing required information with an opinion with hospitals financial statements filed on February twenty-eighth and included a definition of "primary payer", effective June 4, 1993; P.A. 93-262 authorized substitution of commissioner and department of social services for commissioner and department of income maintenance, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 95-257 replaced Commission on Hospitals and Health Care with Office of Health Care Access, effective July 1, 1995; Sec. 19a-167f transferred to Sec. 19a-649 in 1997; P.A. 03-266 designated existing provisions as Subsec. (a) and added new Subsec. (b) re annual report; P.A. 06-64 amended Subsec. (a) by adding reference to "TriCare" and requiring audit results and opinions to be filed separately from audited financial statements by March thirty-first of each year, effective July 1, 2006; P.A. 07-149 amended Subsecs. (a) and (b) by substituting "charity" care for "free" care and further amended Subsec. (a) to delete provision re emergency assistance to families and redefine "primary payer", effective July 1, 2007.

      Sec. 19a-659. (Formerly Sec. 19a-170). Definitions. As used in sections 19a-659, 19a-662, 19a-669 to 19a-670a, inclusive, 19a-671, 19a-671a, 19a-672 and 19a-676:

      (1) "Office" means the Office of Health Care Access;

      (2) "Hospital" means any hospital licensed as a short-term acute care general or children's hospital by the Department of Public Health, including John Dempsey Hospital of The University of Connecticut Health Center;

      (3) "Fiscal year" means the hospital fiscal year consisting of a twelve-month period commencing on October first and ending the following September thirtieth;

      (4) "Base year" means the fiscal year consisting of a twelve-month period immediately prior to the start of the fiscal year for which a budget is being determined or prepared;

      (5) "Affiliate" means a person, entity or organization controlling, controlled by, or under common control with another person, entity or organization;

      (6) "Uncompensated care" means the total amount of charity care and bad debts determined by using the hospital's published charges and consistent with the hospital's policies regarding charity care and bad debts which have been approved by, and are on file at, the office;

      (7) "Medical assistance" means (A) the programs for medical assistance provided under the state-administered general assistance program or the Medicaid program, including the HUSKY Plan, Part A, or (B) any other state-funded medical assistance program, including the HUSKY Plan, Part B;

      (8) "CHAMPUS" or "TriCare" means the federal Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services, as defined in 10 USC Section 1072(4), as from time to time amended;

      (9) "Primary payer" means the payer responsible for the highest percentage of the charges for a patient's inpatient or outpatient hospital services;

      (10) "Case mix index" means the arithmetic mean of the Medicare diagnosis related group case weights assigned to each inpatient discharge for a specific hospital during a given fiscal year. The case mix index shall be calculated by dividing the hospital's total case mix adjusted discharges by the hospital's actual number of discharges for the fiscal year. The total case mix adjusted discharges shall be calculated by (A) multiplying the number of discharges in each diagnosis-related group by the Medicare weights in effect for that same diagnosis-related group and fiscal year, and (B) then totaling the resulting products for all diagnosis-related groups;

      (11) "Contractual allowances" means the difference between hospital published charges and payments generated by negotiated agreements for a different or discounted rate or method of payment;

      (12) "Medical assistance underpayment" means the amount calculated by dividing the total net revenue by the total gross revenue, and then multiplying the quotient by the total medical assistance charges, and then subtracting medical assistance payments from the product;

      (13) "Other allowances" means the amount of any difference between charges for employee self-insurance and related expenses determined using the hospital's overall relationship of costs to charges;

      (14) "Gross revenue" means the total gross patient charges for all patient services provided by a hospital;

      (15) "Net revenue" means total gross revenue less contractual allowance, less the difference between government charges and government payments, less uncompensated care and other allowances, plus uncompensated care program disproportionate share hospital payments from the Department of Social Services;

      (16) "Emergency assistance to families" means assistance to families with children under the age of twenty-one who do not have the resources to independently provide the assistance needed to avoid the destitution of the child and which is authorized by the Department of Social Services pursuant to section 17b-107 and is not otherwise funded.

      (P.A. 94-9, S. 26, 41; P.A. 95-257, S. 12, 21, 39, 58; June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-2, S. 95, 165; P.A. 02-101, S. 6; P.A. 04-76, S. 29; P.A. 06-64, S. 14; P.A. 07-149, S. 8.)

      History: P.A. 94-9 effective April 1, 1994; P.A. 95-257 replaced Commission on Hospitals and Health Care with Office of Health Care Access and replaced Commissioner and Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Commissioner and Department of Public Health, effective July 1, 1995 (Revisor's note: References to Secs. 19a-168k and 19a-168d were changed editorially by the Revisors to Secs. 19a-168j and 19a-168c, respectively, to reflect the repeal of Secs. 19a-168k and 19a-169d by P.A. 95-257); Sec. 19a-170 transferred to Sec. 19a-659 in 1997; June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-2 amended Subdiv. (7) to make technical changes, effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 02-101 amended section by deleting obsolete references and amended Subdiv. (8) by adding "TriCare" to the definition of "CHAMPUS", and amended Subdiv. (14) by adding "and on and after July 1, 2002, any amount of discounts provided to nongovernmental payers pursuant to a written agreement", effective July 1, 2002; P.A. 04-76 amended Subdiv. (7) by deleting reference to "general assistance program" from definition of "medical assistance"; P.A. 06-64 deleted references to repealed Secs. 19a-661, 19a-677 and 19a-679, deleted definitions of "Medicare shortfall", "medical assistance shortfall", "CHAMPUS shortfall", "Medicare underpayment", and "CHAMPUS underpayment" in former Subdivs. (9) to (11), inclusive, (15) and (17), respectively, and renumbered remaining Subdivs., effective July 1, 2006; P.A. 07-149 made technical changes and redefined "hospital", "fiscal year", "base year", "uncompensated care", "medical assistance", "CHAMPUS", "primary payer", "case mix index", "contractual allowances", "medical assistance underpayment", "gross revenue" and "net revenue", effective July 1, 2007.

      Sec. 19a-669. (Formerly Sec. 19a-169). Disproportionate share payments and emergency assistance to families; determination of amount eligible for federal matching payments. Effective October 1, 1993, and October first of each subsequent year, the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management shall determine and inform the Office of Health Care Access of the maximum amount of disproportionate share payments and emergency assistance to families eligible for federal matching payments under the Medical Assistance Program or the Emergency Assistance to Families Program pursuant to federal statute and regulations and subdivisions (2) and (28) of subsection (a) of section 12-407, subdivision (1) of section 12-408, subdivision (5) of section 12-412, section 12-414, section 19a-649 and this section and the actual and anticipated appropriation to the medical assistance disproportionate share-emergency assistance account authorized pursuant to sections 3-114i and 12-263a to 12-263e, inclusive, subdivisions (2) and (29) of subsection (a) of section 12-407, subdivision (1) of section 12-408, section 12-408a, subdivision (5) of section 12-412, subdivision (1) of section 12-414 and sections 19a-646, 19a-659, 19a-662, 19a-669 to 19a-670a, inclusive, 19a-671, 19a-671a, 19a-672, 19a-672a, 19a-673 and 19a-676, and the amount of emergency assistance to families' payments to eligible hospitals projected for the year, and the anticipated amount of any increase in payments made pursuant to any resolution of any civil action pending on April 1, 1994, in the United States district court for the district of Connecticut. The Department of Social Services shall inform the office of any amount of uncompensated care which the Department of Social Services determines is due to a failure on the part of the hospital to register patients for emergency assistance to families, or a failure to bill properly for emergency assistance to families' patients. If during the course of a fiscal year the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management determines that these amounts should be revised, said secretary shall so notify the office and the office may modify its calculation pursuant to section 19a-671 to reflect such revision and its orders as it deems appropriate and the Commissioner of Social Services may modify said commissioner's determination pursuant to section 19a-671.

      (P.A. 93-44, S. 16, 24; P.A. 94-9, S. 13, 41; P.A. 95-257, S. 39, 58; P.A. 96-165, S. 4, 9; P.A. 02-89, S. 39; 02-101, S. 8; 02-103, S. 29; P.A. 06-64, S. 15; P.A. 07-149, S. 9.)

      History: P.A. 93-44 effective April 23, 1993; P.A. 94-9 deleted previously existing provisions re payments for Medicare, medical assistance and CHAMPUS underpayments from uncompensated care pool and substituted new provisions re emergency assistance to families program, effective April 1, 1994 (Revisor's note: In 1995 references to repealed sections were deleted editorially by the Revisors); P.A. 95-257 replaced Commission on Hospitals and Health Care with Office of Health Care Access, effective July 1, 1995 (Revisor's note: A reference to Sec. 19a-168k was deleted editorially by the Revisors to reflect the repeal of that section by the same act); P.A. 96-165 made technical changes, effective July 1, 1996; Sec. 19a-169 transferred to Sec. 19a-669 in 1997 (Revisor's note: In 1997 when transferring this section the Revisors editorially omitted reference to repealed Secs. 19a-168b, 19a-168e and 19a-169d); P.A. 02-89 replaced reference to Sec. 19a-666 with Sec. 19a-667, reflecting the repeal of Sec. 19a-666 by the same public act, and made technical changes for purposes of gender neutrality; P.A. 02-101 made technical changes, effective July 1, 2002; P.A. 02-103 made technical changes; P.A. 06-64 deleted references to repealed Secs. 19a-661, 19a-667, 19a-677 and 19a-679, effective July 1, 2006; P.A. 07-149 made technical changes.

      Sec. 19a-670. (Formerly Sec. 19a-169a). Disproportionate share and emergency assistance to families payments to hospitals. (a) Within available appropriations, the Department of Social Services may make semimonthly payments to short-term general hospitals in an amount calculated pursuant to section 19a-671, provided the total amount of payments made to individual hospitals and to hospitals in the aggregate shall maximize the amount qualifying for federal matching payments under the medical assistance program and the emergency assistance to families program as determined by the Department of Social Services in consultation with the Office of Policy and Management. No payments shall be made to any hospital exempt from taxation under chapter 211a. The payments shall be medical assistance disproportionate share payments, including grants provided pursuant to section 19a-168k, to the extent allowable under federal law. In addition, payments may be made for authorized emergency assistance to needy families with dependent children in accordance with Title IV-A of the Social Security Act to the extent allowable under federal law. The payments shall not be part of the routine medical assistance inpatient hospital rate determined pursuant to section 17b-239. Payments shall be made on an interim basis during each year and a final settlement shall be calculated pursuant to section 19a-671 by the office for each hospital after the year end based on audited data for the hospitals. The Commissioner of Social Services may withhold payment to a hospital which is in arrears in remitting its obligations to the state.

      (b) (1) For the hospital fiscal year 1994, and subsequent fiscal years, the commission or its designated representative shall conduct a cash audit of the projected amount of uncompensated care, including emergency assistance to families and underpayments against the actual receipts of the hospital. In addition, the office or its designated intermediary shall conduct an audit of the revenues, deductions from revenue, discharges, days or other measures of patient volume for hospitals for the purposes of termination and final settlement of uncompensated care pool assessments and payments for the period ending March 31, 1994.

      (2) For the six-month period ending September 30, 1994, and for each subsequent fiscal year, the office or its designated intermediary shall conduct an audit of the revenues, deductions from revenue, discharges, days or other measures of patient volume for hospitals for the purposes of determining disproportionate share payments. Included in this audit shall be a comparison of projected and actual levels of medical assistance underpayment and uncompensated care.

      (3) The total payments from the Department of Social Services medical assistance disproportionate share-emergency assistance account established pursuant to section 38 of public act 94-9* and made in accordance with sections 19a-670 to 19a-672, inclusive, during the fiscal year less any payments for emergency assistance to families, and less any payments resulting from the resolution of or court order entered in any civil action pending on April 1, 1994, in the United States District Court for the district of Connecticut, shall be reallocated to hospitals based on actual audited levels of medical assistance underpayment, grants pursuant to section 19a-168k and uncompensated care to determine the final payment for the fiscal year.

      (4) If the final payment for a hospital for the hospital fiscal year, as determined as a result of this audit, is less than the total payments the hospital received during the same fiscal year excluding any prior year audit adjustment, then the current hospital fiscal year remaining semimonthly payments shall each be reduced by an amount equal to the total excess payment divided by the number of remaining semimonthly payments for the current hospital fiscal year.

      (5) If the final payment for a hospital for the hospital fiscal year, as determined as a result of this audit, is greater than the total payments the hospital received during the same fiscal year, then the current hospital fiscal year remaining semimonthly payments shall each be increased by an amount equal to the total excess payment divided by the number of remaining semimonthly payments for the current hospital fiscal year.

      (6) The office shall, by June 1, 1995, and June first of each subsequent year, report the results of such audit for the previous hospital fiscal year to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to public health. The report shall include information concerning the financial stability of hospitals in a competitive market.

      (7) Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivisions (3) to (5), inclusive, of this subsection, no adjustment of disproportionate share payments to hospitals for purposes of final settlement shall be implemented for the hospital fiscal years commencing October 1, 1997, and October 1, 1998, provided every hospital subject to final settlement for said fiscal years submits documentation in writing of its agreement to forego such final settlement to the Commissioner of Social Services in a form acceptable to the commissioner.

      (8) Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivisions (3) to (5), inclusive, of this subsection, for the hospital fiscal year commencing October 1, 1999, and for each subsequent fiscal year, no adjustment of disproportionate share payments to hospitals for purposes of final settlement shall be determined or implemented.

      (9) For the quarter ending September 30, 2001, no negative adjustment to the disproportionate share payments to hospitals for purposes of implementing the final one-quarter of the disproportionate share final settlement for the hospital fiscal year commencing October 1, 1998, shall be made. Any hospitals with a positive adjustment to the disproportionate share payments for purposes of implementing the remaining one-quarter of the hospital fiscal year 1999 disproportionate share final settlement shall receive payment of the adjustment through funds appropriated for said purpose.

      (10) The Department of Social Services may, within available appropriations and with the approval of the Office of Health Care Access and the Office of Policy and Management, make payment of any final settlement amount determined to represent any and all claims arising out of any incorrect payments to Yale-New Haven Hospital for the fiscal quarter ending September 30, 1998, or the hospital fiscal year ending September 30, 1999, or both. If such incorrect payment, whether an overpayment or an underpayment, has occurred as a result of the hospital's reporting incorrect information and statistics to the Office of Health Care Access, the Office of Health Care Access shall recompute the amount of any payments for the indicated time periods, offsetting any underpaid amount by the amount of any overpayment of funds for the indicated time period. Yale-New Haven Hospital shall submit all information and documentation determined necessary by the Office of Health Care Access to make a final determination of the amounts due. Prior to the release of any funds under this section, the hospital shall submit a written release in a form satisfactory to the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management. The written release shall provide for settlement of any and all claims which have been or could have been brought challenging the amount of payment for the indicated periods. Nothing in this section shall be construed to relieve the hospital from any settlement or adjustments for any periods other than those identified in this section.

      (c) The Commissioner of Social Services is authorized to determine exceptions, exemptions and adjustments in accordance with 42 CFR 413.40.

      (d) Nothing in section 3-114i, subdivision (2) or (29) of subsection (a) of section 12-407, subdivision (1) of section 12-408, section 12-408a, subdivision (5) of section 12-412, subdivision (1) of section 12-414, or sections 12-263a to 12-263e, inclusive, section 19a-646, 19a-659, 19a-662 or 19a-669 to 19a-670a, inclusive, 19a-671, 19a-671a, 19a-672, 19a-672a, 19a-673 and section 19a-676, or section 1, 2, or 38 of public act 94-9* shall be construed to require the Department of Social Services to pay out more funds than are appropriated pursuant to said sections.

      (P.A. 94-9, S. 5, 41; P.A. 95-160, S. 57, 69; 95-257, S. 39, 58; 95-306, S. 4, 7; P.A. 96-139, S. 12, 13; 96-165, S. 5, 9; P.A. 97-2, S. 4, 8; P.A. 99-279, S. 27, 45; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-3, S. 3, 6; P.A. 02-89, S. 40; 02-101, S. 9; 02-103, S. 30; P.A. 06-64, S. 16; P.A. 07-149, S. 10.)

      *Note: Sections 1, 2 and 38 of public act 94-9 are special in nature and therefore have not been codified but remain in full force and effect according to their terms.

      History: P.A. 94-9 effective April 1, 1994; P.A. 95-160 amended Subsec. (a) to change shall to may re payments to hospitals and added proviso re aggregate to maximize federal match, effective June 1, 1995; P.A. 95-257 replaced Commission on Hospitals and Health Care with Office of Health Care Access, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 95-306 amended Subsec. (b)(3) by requiring the subtraction of payments from a court order entered in a civil action pending on April 1, 1994, in the United States District Court for the district of Connecticut, from the total payments made from the medical assistance disproportionate share-emergency assistance account, effective July 6, 1995; P.A. 96-139 changed effective date of P.A. 95-160 but without affecting this section; P.A. 96-165 amended Subsec. (d) to make a technical change, effective July 1, 1996; Sec. 19a-169a transferred to Sec. 19a-670 in 1997 (Revisor's note: In 1997 when transferring this section the Revisors editorially omitted a reference to repealed section 19a-169d from Subsec. (d)); P.A. 97-2 amended Subsec. (a) to provide that no payment be made to children's general hospitals that are exempt from tax under chapter 211a, effective the later of October 1, 1997, or upon the date of federal approval or federal determination that no approval is required pursuant to Sec. 19a-670a; (Revisor's note: Actual effective date was October 1, 1997); P.A. 99-279 amended Subsec. (a) to exempt John Dempsey Hospital of The University of Connecticut Health Center from the disproportionate share payment system, and amended Subsec. (b)(2) to substitute "determining" for "final settlement of", and added Subsec. (b). (7) and (8) which provide that no retroactive adjustment of disproportionate share payments to hospitals for purposes of final settlement shall be implemented, effective July 1, 1999; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-3 amended Subsec. (a) by adding provision re short-term general hospitals, making a technical change and deleting provision re increase of rates to resolve civil action pending on April 1, 1994, and added Subsec. (b)(9) and (10) re adjustment to disproportionate share payments and settlement of claims arising out of any incorrect payments to Yale-New Haven Hospital, effective July 1, 2001; P.A. 02-89 amended Subsec. (d) to replace reference to Sec. 19a-666 with Sec. 19a-667, reflecting the repeal of Sec. 19a-666 by the same public act; P.A. 02-101 amended Subsec. (d) to make technical changes, effective July 1, 2002; P.A. 02-103 made technical changes in Subsec. (d); P.A. 06-64 amended Subsec. (d) to delete references to repealed Secs. 19a-661, 19a-667, 19a-668, 19a-677 and 19a-679, effective July 1, 2006; P.A. 07-149 made technical changes in Subsec. (d).

      Sec. 19a-671. (Formerly Sec. 19a-169b). Calculation and determination of payments. The Commissioner of Social Services is authorized to determine the amount of payments pursuant to sections 19a-670, 19a-670a, 19a-671, 19a-671a and 19a-672 for each hospital. The commissioner's determination shall be based on the advice of the office and the application of the calculation in this section. For each hospital, the Office of Health Care Access shall calculate the amount of payments to be made pursuant to sections 19a-670, 19a-670a, 19a-671, 19a-671a and 19a-672 as follows:

      (1) For the period April 1, 1994, to June 30, 1994, inclusive, and for the period July 1, 1994, to September 30, 1994, inclusive, the office shall calculate and advise the Commissioner of Social Services of the amount of payments to be made to each hospital as follows:

      (A) Determine the amount of pool payments for the hospital, including grants approved pursuant to section 19a-168k, in the previously authorized budget authorization for the fiscal year commencing October 1, 1993.

      (B) Calculate the sum of the result of subparagraph (A) of this subdivision for all hospitals.

      (C) Divide the result of subparagraph (A) of this subdivision by the result of subparagraph (B) of this subdivision.

      (D) From the anticipated appropriation to the medical assistance disproportionate share-emergency assistance account made pursuant to sections 3-114i and 12-263a to 12-263e, inclusive, subdivisions (2) and (29) of subsection (a) of section 12-407, subdivision (1) of section 12-408, section 12-408a, subdivision (5) of section 12-412, subdivision (1) of section 12-414 and sections 19a-646, 19a-659, 19a-662, 19a-669 to 19a-670a, inclusive, 19a-671, 19a-671a, 19a-672, 19a-672a, 19a-673 and 19a-676, for the quarter subtract the amount of any additional medical assistance payments made to hospitals pursuant to any resolution of or court order entered in any civil action pending on April 1, 1994, in the United States District Court for the district of Connecticut, and also subtract the amount of any emergency assistance to families payments projected by the office to be made to hospitals in the quarter.

      (E) The disproportionate share payment shall be the result of subparagraph (D) of this subdivision multiplied by the result of subparagraph (C) of this subdivision.

      (2) For the fiscal year commencing October 1, 1994, and subsequent fiscal years, the interim payment shall be calculated as follows for each hospital:

      (A) For each hospital determine the amount of the medical assistance underpayment determined pursuant to section 19a-659, plus the actual amount of uncompensated care including emergency assistance to families determined pursuant to section 19a-659, less any amount of uncompensated care determined by the Department of Social Services to be due to a failure of the hospital to enroll patients for emergency assistance to families, plus the amount of any grants authorized pursuant to the authority of section 19a-168k.

      (B) Calculate the sum of the result of subparagraph (A) of this subdivision for all hospitals.

      (C) Divide the result of subparagraph (A) of this subdivision by the result of subparagraph (B) of this subdivision.

      (D) From the anticipated appropriation made to the medical assistance disproportionate share-emergency assistance account pursuant to sections 3-114i and 12-263a to 12-263e, inclusive, subdivisions (2) and (29) of subsection (a) of section 12-407, subdivision (1) of section 12-408, section 12-408a, subdivision (5) of section 12-412, subdivision (1) of section 12-414 and sections 19a-646, 19a-659, 19a-662, 19a-669 to 19a-670a, inclusive, 19a-671, 19a-671a, 19a-672, 19a-672a, 19a-673 and 19a-676, for the fiscal year, subtract the amount of any additional medical assistance payments made to hospitals pursuant to any resolution of or court order entered in any civil action pending on April 1, 1994, in the United States District Court for the district of Connecticut, and also subtract any emergency assistance to families payments projected by the office to be made to the hospitals for the year.

      (E) The disproportionate share payment shall be the result of subparagraph (D) of this subdivision multiplied by the result of subparagraph (C) of this subdivision.

      (P.A. 94-9, S. 6, 41; P.A. 95-257, S. 39, 58; 95-306, S. 5, 7; P.A. 96-165, S. 6, 9; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 00-2, S. 26, 53; P.A. 02-89, S. 42; 02-101, S. 11; 02-103, S. 31; P.A. 06-64, S. 17; P.A. 07-149, S. 11.)

      History: P.A. 94-9 effective April 1, 1994; P.A. 95-257 replaced Commission on Hospitals and Health Care with Office of Health Care Access, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 95-306 amended Subdivs. (1)(D) and (2)(D) by requiring the subtraction of any medical assistance payments made to hospitals pursuant to any court order entered in any civil action pending on April 1, 1994, in the United States District Court for the district of Connecticut, from the anticipated appropriation to the medical assistance disproportionate share-emergency assistance account, effective July 6, 1995; P.A. 96-165 amended Subdivs. (1)(D) and (2)(D) to make technical changes, effective July 1, 1996; Sec. 19a-169b transferred to Sec. 19a-671 in 1997 (Revisor's note: In 1997 when transferring this section the Revisors editorially omitted references to repealed sections 19a-168k and 19a-169d from Subdivs. (1)(D) and (2)(D)); June Sp. Sess. P.A. 00-2 amended Subdiv. (2)(A) by changing "authorized" to "actual" amount of uncompensated care, effective July 1, 2000; P.A. 02-89 replaced references to Sec. 19a-666 with Sec. 19a-667, reflecting the repeal of Sec. 19a-666 by the same public act; P.A. 02-101 made technical changes, effective July 1, 2002; P.A. 02-103 made technical changes; P.A. 06-64 amended Subdivs. (1)(D) and (2)(D) to delete references to repealed Secs. 19a-661, 19a-667, 19a-668, 19a-677 and 19a-679, effective July 1, 2006; P.A. 07-149 made technical changes.

      Sec. 19a-672. (Formerly Sec. 19a-169c). Use of medical assistance disproportionate share-emergency assistance account funds. The funds appropriated to the medical assistance disproportionate share-emergency assistance account pursuant to sections 3-114i and 12-263a to 12-263e, inclusive, subdivisions (2) and (29) of subsection (a) of section 12-407, subdivision (1) of section 12-408, section 12-408a, subdivision (5) of section 12-412, subdivision (1) of section 12-414 and sections 19a-646, 19a-659, 19a-662, 19a-669 to 19a-670a, inclusive, 19a-671, 19a-671a, 19a-672, 19a-672a, 19a-673 and 19a-676, shall be used by said account to make disproportionate share payments to hospitals, including grants to hospitals pursuant to section 19a-168k, and to make emergency assistance to families payments to hospitals. In addition, a portion of funds appropriated to the medical assistance disproportionate share-emergency assistance account may be used to make outpatient payments as the Department of Social Services determines appropriate or to increase the standard medical assistance payments to hospitals if the Department of Social Services determines it to be appropriate to settle any civil action pending on April 1, 1994, in the United States District Court for the district of Connecticut. Notwithstanding any other provision of the general statutes, the Department of Social Services shall not be required to make any payments pursuant to sections 3-114i and 12-263a to 12-263e, inclusive, subdivisions (2) and (29) of subsection (a) of section 12-407, subdivision (1) of section 12-408, section 12-408a, subdivision (5) of section 12-412, subdivision (1) of section 12-414 and sections 19a-646, 19a-659, 19a-662, 19a-669 to 19a-670a, inclusive, 19a-671, 19a-671a, 19a-672, 19a-672a, 19a-673 and 19a-676, in excess of the funds available in the medical assistance disproportionate share-emergency assistance account.

      (P.A. 94-9, S. 7, 41; P.A. 96-165, S. 7, 9; P.A. 02-89, S. 43; 02-101, S. 12; 02-103, S. 32; P.A. 06-64, S. 18; P.A. 07-149, S. 12.)

      History: P.A. 94-9 effective April 1, 1994; P.A. 96-165 made technical changes, effective July 1, 1996; Sec. 19a-169c transferred to Sec. 19a-672 in 1997 (Revisor's note: In 1997 when transferring this section the Revisors editorially omitted reference to repealed Secs. 19a-168b, 19a-168e and 19a-169d and replaced a reference to Sec. 19a-168k with a reference to Sec. 19a-168j to reflect the repeal of Sec. 19a-168k by P.A. 95-257); P.A. 02-89 replaced references to Sec. 19a-666 with Sec. 19a-667, reflecting the repeal of Sec. 19a-666 by the same public act; P.A. 02-101 made technical changes, effective July 1, 2002; P.A. 02-103 made technical changes; P.A. 06-64 deleted references to repealed Secs. 19a-661, 19a-667, 19a-668, 19a-677 and 19a-679, effective July 1, 2006; P.A. 07-149 made technical changes.