Revision: Dec. 23, 2019, 5:07 p.m.
SB 519 - AS INTRODUCED
2020 SESSION
20-2915
01/06
SENATE BILL 519
AN ACT relative to special health care services licenses.
SPONSORS: Sen. Bradley, Dist 3; Sen. Rosenwald, Dist 13; Sen. Dietsch, Dist 9; Sen. Fuller Clark, Dist 21; Sen. Chandley, Dist 11; Sen. Sherman, Dist 24; Sen. Hennessey, Dist 5; Rep. Knirk, Carr. 3; Rep. Hennessey, Graf. 1; Rep. Schapiro, Ches. 16; Rep. Marsh, Carr. 8; Rep. Fargo, Straf. 14
COMMITTEE: Executive Departments and Administration
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ANALYSIS
This bill requires an applicant seeking to construct certain health care facilities for licensure under RSA 151 to submit a written notice of such intent to the chief executive officer of a nearby critical access hospital. Under this bill, if the critical access hospital notifies the department of health and human services that it objects to the proposed health care facility, then an expert report shall be prepared.
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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
20-2915
01/06
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty
AN ACT relative to special health care services licenses.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 New Section; Requirements for Licensure Near Critical Access Hospitals. Amend RSA 151 by inserting after section 4 the following new section:
151:4-a Requirements for Licensure Near Critical Access Hospitals.
I. In this section:
(a) “Health care services” means inpatient care, inpatient or outpatient surgery, inpatient or outpatient emergency services, labor and delivery services, addiction and recovery services, mental health services, or coordination with emergency response systems provided by the critical access hospital to the service area.
(b) “Material adverse impact” means that granting the application would more likely than not tangibly minimize the critical access hospital’s ability to provide health care services.
(c) “Service area” means the area by which a majority of patients are served by the critical access hospital according to the hospital discharge data provided by the critical access hospital in accordance with RSA 126:25.
II.(a) Any person or entity proposing to establish an ambulatory surgical center, emergency medical care center, hospital, birthing center, drop-in or walk-in care center, dialysis center, or special health care service within a radius of 15 miles of a New Hampshire hospital certified as a critical access hospital pursuant to 42 C.F.R 485.610(b) and (c), shall give written notice of the intent to establish a health care facility within a 15 mile radius with a description of the facility or special health care service to the chief executive officer of the hospital by certified mail.
(b) If, within 30 days of receipt of the notification under subparagraph (a), the critical access hospital notifies the department of health and human services that it objects to the establishment of the proposed health care facility and articulates a detailed basis for its objection, an expert report shall be completed by an independent contractor retained by the department to determine whether or not the new facility will have a material adverse impact on the health care services provided in the critical access hospital’s service area. The expert report shall be prepared as follows:
(1) The report shall include how the proposed project will impact the health care services in the service area in terms of utilization, patient charges, market share, physician referral patterns, personnel resources, and referral sources.
(2) The proposed health care facility and critical access hospital shall provide any information requested by the expert to complete its report. Information obtained at the request of the expert shall not be considered confidential under RSA 151:13, unless the department determines that it should be exempt from disclosure under RSA 91-A:5.
(3) Within 30 days of retention of the expert, the department shall publish a notice on the department’s Internet website to notify the public of the proposed health care facility and solicit public comment for a period of at least 7 calendar days. All public comments shall be provided to the expert for use in the analysis.
(4) The report shall be completed within 90 days of the retention of the expert unless an extension is granted by the department. Such an extension shall not exceed 30 days.
(5) If the report finds that the proposed health care facility will have a material adverse impact on the health care services provided in the service area of the critical access hospital, the proposed health care facility shall not be allowed to apply for licensure. If the proposed health care facility fails to provide the requested information to the expert, for which the expert is unable to complete its findings, the proposed health care facility shall not be allowed to apply for licensure. If the critical access hospital fails to provide the requested information to the expert, for which the expert is unable to complete its findings, no material adverse impact shall be found and the facility may apply for licensure.
(6) The cost of any fees associated with the retention and work completed by an independent contractor to comply with the provisions of this subparagraph shall be shared equally between the proposed health care facility and the critical access hospital. These costs shall be paid for in advance of any services performed.
(7) The department of health and human services shall provide a copy of the report within 10 days of receipt to the proposed health care facility and critical access hospital.
(c) The person or entity seeking to establish the proposed health care facility and the critical access hospital shall have the right to request a rehearing by the commissioner of the department of health and human services pursuant to RSA 541:3 and to appeal by petition to the supreme court pursuant to RSA 541:6 the expert’s findings. If the proposed health care facility chooses to move forward with the licensing process prior to all appeal rights being exhausted, the proposed health care facility shall bear all costs and shall not hold the critical access hospital or the department liable for any costs incurred. The appellant shall bear all costs of any rehearing or petition for appeal, including the state’s attorneys’ fees.
2 Health Facility Licensure; Application for License. Amend RSA 151:4, VI to read as follows:
VI. In addition to publication on the department's website, any initial application for [a special health care services license] licensure, under [RSA 151:2-e] this chapter, shall be available for inspection and copying by any person immediately upon it being filed and shall not be confidential under RSA 151:13.
3 New Paragraph; Health Facility Licensure; Rulemaking. Amend RSA 151:9 by inserting after paragraph II the following new paragraph:
II-a. The commissioner of the department of health and human services shall adopt rules relative to the requirements for licensing near a critical access hospital under RSA 151:4-a.
4 Health FacilityLicensure; Information Confidential. Amend RSA 151:13 to read as follows:
151:13 Information Confidential. Information [other than reports relating to vital statistics] received or created by the department of health and human services, through inspection or otherwise, authorized hereunder shall be confidential and shall not be disclosed publicly except in a proceeding involving the question of licensure or revocation of license pursuant to RSA 541-A. The department may disclose such information after it denies, suspends or revokes a license pursuant to RSA 151:7, II. The department shall report any information relative to acts which appear contrary to accepted professional practices to the appropriate professional licensing board.
5 Repeal. RSA 151:4, III(a)(5)-(7) and VII, relative to certain requirements relative to application for licensure, are repealed.