PROPOSED RULES
Continuance of WSR 04-11-099.
Title of Rule and Other Identifying Information: WAC 246-310-261 Adult heart surgery standards and need forecasting method, 246-310-262 Adult elective coronary interventions standards and need forecasting method, and 246-210-990 Certificate of need fees. This proposal continues the adoption of WSR 04-11-099 which was filed on May 19, 2004. The pediatric section of the initial proposal, WAC 246-310-263, will be adopted separately from this proposal. That section received no opposition during the public comment period.
Date of Intended Adoption: March 1, 2005.
Purpose of the Proposal and Its Anticipated Effects, Including Any Changes in Existing Rules: The continuance provides time to fully assess input received, new literature being published, and to have the benefit of the new ACC guidelines that we have been told are likely to be released in February. Because the overriding interest is patient safety, the prudent course is to ensure that the best, most current input is fully considered in the decision. The purpose of the proposed amendments to WAC 246-310-261 and 246-310-262 is to reduce many regulatory requirements prohibiting the establishment of heart surgery and interventional cardiology programs and to increase access to those services while maintaining high quality programs. The proposed amendments to WAC 246-310-990 adjust the fees for hospitals that submit two plans simultaneously.
Reasons Supporting Proposal: The proposal will assure the rules are consistent with the recommendations forwarded by the 2000 Heart Surgery Advisory Committee, a panel of top cardiac practitioners and hospitals. The department anticipates these changes will decrease the regulatory burden on applicants and increase access to cardiac services while still maintaining high quality programs.
Statutory Authority for Adoption: Chapter 70.38 RCW.
Statute Being Implemented: Chapter 70.38 RCW.
Rule is not necessitated by federal law, federal or state court decision.
Name of Proponent: Department of Health, governmental.
Name of Agency Personnel Responsible for Drafting and Implementation: Bart Eggen, 310 Israel Road S.E., Tumwater, WA 98501, (360) 236-2960; and Enforcement: Gary Bennett, 310 Israel Road S.E., Tumwater, WA 98501, (360) 236-2900.
No small business economic impact statement has been prepared under chapter 19.85 RCW. None of the facilities subject to these rules or potential applicants for this program qualify as small businesses under chapter 19.85 RCW.
A cost-benefit analysis is required under RCW 34.05.328. A preliminary cost-benefit analysis may be obtained by contacting Yvette Fox, P.O. Box 47852, Olympia, WA 98504-7852, phone (360) 236-2928, fax (360) 236-2901, e-mail yvette.fox@doh.wa.gov.
November 22, 2004
M. C. Selecky
Secretary
OTS-4833.10
AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending Order 274, filed 5/26/92,
effective 6/26/92)
WAC 246-310-261
((Open)) Adult heart surgery standards
and need forecasting method.
(1) ((Open)) Heart surgery means
a specialized surgical procedure of the heart and great
vessels in the chest (excluding organ transplantation) ((which
utilizes a heart-lung bypass machine and is intended to
correct congenital and acquired cardiac and coronary artery
disease)).
(2) ((Open)) Heart surgery is a tertiary service as
listed in WAC 246-310-020. To be granted a certificate of
need, ((an open)) a heart surgery program ((shall)) must meet
the standards in this section in addition to applicable review
criteria in WAC 246-310-210, 246-310-220, 246-310-230, and
246-310-240. To be granted a certificate of need for adult
heart surgery, a hospital is also required to have or
concurrently obtain a separate certificate of need for adult
elective coronary intervention as defined in WAC 246-310-262.
(3) The department shall review new adult heart surgery applications using the concurrent review cycle in this subsection.
(a) Applicants must submit letters of intent between the first working day and last working day of July of each year.
(b) Initial applications must be submitted between the first working day and last working day of August of each year.
(c) The department shall screen initial applications for completeness by the last working day of September of each year.
(d) Responses to screening questions must be submitted by the last working day of October of each year.
(e) The public review and comment period for applications begins on November 16 of each year. If November 16 is not a working day in any year, then the public review and comment period begins on the first working day after November 16.
(f) The public comment period is limited to ninety days, unless extended under WAC 246-310-120 (2)(d). The first sixty days of the public comment period shall be reserved for receiving public comments and conducting a public hearing, if requested. The remaining thirty days shall be for the applicant or applicants to provide rebuttal statements to written or oral statements submitted during the first sixty-day period. Any interested person that:
(i) Is located or resides within the applicant's health service area;
(ii) Testified or submitted evidence at a public hearing; and
(iii) Requested in writing to be informed of the department's decision, must also be provided the opportunity to provide rebuttal statements to written or oral statements submitted during the first sixty-day period.
(g) The final review period may not exceed sixty days, unless extended under WAC 246-310-120 (2)(d).
(4) The department may convert the review of an application that was initially submitted under the concurrent review cycle to a regular review process if the department determines that the application does not compete with another application.
(5) Any letter of intent or certificate of need application submitted for review in advance of this schedule, or certificate of need application under review as of the effective date of this section, shall be held by the department for review according to the schedule in this section.
(6) Standards.
(a) A minimum of two hundred fifty ((open)) heart surgery
procedures per year ((shall)) must be performed at
((institutions)) hospitals with an ((open)) adult heart
surgery program by the third year of operation and for each
year thereafter.
(b) Hospitals applying for a certificate of need
((shall)) must demonstrate that they can meet one hundred ten
percent of the minimum volume standard. ((To do so,)) The
applicant hospital must provide ((written documentation, which
is verifiable, of open heart surgeries performed on patients
referred by active medical staff of the hospital. The volume
of surgeries counted must be appropriate for the proposed
program (i.e., pediatric and recognized complicated cases
would be excluded).
(c) No new program shall be established which will reduce an existing program below the minimum volume standard.
(d) Open heart surgery programs shall have at least two board certified cardiac surgeons, one of whom shall be available for emergency surgery twenty-four hours a day. The practice of these surgeons shall be concentrated in a single institution and arranged so that each surgeon performs a minimum of one hundred twenty-five open heart surgery procedures per year at that institution.
(e) Institutions with open heart surgery programs shall have plans for facilitating emergency access to open heart surgery services at all times for the population they serve. These plans should, at minimum, include arrangements for addressing peak volume periods (such as joint agreements with other programs, the capacity to temporarily increase staffing, etc.), and the maintenance of or affiliation with emergency transportation services (including contingency plans for poor weather and known traffic congestion problems).
(f))) data from CHARS demonstrating:
(i) The zip codes served by the applying hospital;
(ii) The applying hospital's percentage of total adult hospital admissions in the applicable zip codes during the most recent available three years data. Expired patients will not be counted;
(iii) The number of heart surgeries performed on patients from these zip codes during the most recent available three years data. The percentage established in (ii) of this subsection must then be applied to the number of heart surgeries. This number must be equal to or greater than two hundred seventy-five (one hundred ten percent of the minimum volume).
(c) The department shall not grant a certificate of need to a new program if the new program would:
(i) Cause the number of procedures at any existing program to drop below two hundred seventy-five procedures per year; or
(ii) Reduce the number of procedures at any existing program that has not yet reached two hundred seventy-five procedures per year.
(d) At the time of project commencement, and thereafter, heart surgery programs must have at least two cardiac surgeons. Of the two required surgeons, one must be the program's designated head and be a U.S. board certified cardiac or cardio-thoracic surgeon. The other required surgeon must be a U.S. board certified or board eligible cardiac or cardio-thoracic surgeon. Board eligible status must not extend beyond five years.
(e) Each required surgeon must perform a minimum of one hundred twenty-five heart surgery procedures per year. By the end of the third year of the program's operation each required surgeon must perform at least one hundred heart surgery procedures at the applying hospital.
(f) The program must provide twenty-four hour coverage.
(g) Hospitals with heart surgery programs must have plans for facilitating emergency access to heart surgery services at all times for the population they serve. These plans should, at minimum, include arrangements for addressing peak volume periods (such as joint agreements with other programs, the capacity to temporarily increase staffing, etc.), and the maintenance of or affiliation with emergency transportation services (including contingency plans for poor weather and known traffic congestion).
(h) Hospitals with heart surgery programs must provide a copy of the hospital's QI plan that includes/incorporates a section specific to the heart surgery program.
(i) When a certificate of need is issued, it will be conditioned, at a minimum, to require ongoing compliance with the certificate of need standards. Failure to operate the heart surgery program in accordance with certificate of need standards may be grounds for revocation or suspension of a hospital's certificate of need, or other appropriate licensing or certification action.
(j) In the event two or more hospitals are competing to meet the same forecasted net need, the department shall consider the following factors when determining which proposal best meets forecasted need:
(i) The most appropriate improvement in geographic access;
(ii) The most cost efficient service;
(iii) Minimizing impact on existing programs;
(iv) Providing the greatest breadth and depth of cardiovascular and support services; and
(v) Facilitating emergency access to care.
(((g))) (k) Hospitals granted a certificate of need have
three years from the date ((the program is initiated)) of
project commencement to ((establish)) meet the program ((and
meet these)) procedure volume standards.
(((h))) (l) These standards should be reevaluated ((in at
least)) every three years.
(((4) Steps in the need forecasting method. The
department will develop a forecast of need for open heart
surgery every year using the following procedures.
(a) Step 1. Based upon the most recent three years volumes reported for the hospitals within each planning area, compute the planning area's current capacity and the percent of out-of-state use of the area's hospitals. In those planning areas where a new program is being established, the assumed volume of that institution will be the greater of either the minimum volume standard or the estimated volume described in the approved application and adjusted by the department in the course of review and approval.
(b) Step 2. Patient origin adjust the three years of open heart surgery data, and compute each planning area's age-specific use rates and market shares.
(c) Step 3.)) (7) Need forecasting method. The data used for evaluating applications submitted during the concurrent review cycle will be the most recent three years CHARS data available at the close of the application submittal period for that review cycle.
(a) Step 1. Compute each planning area's current capacity. In those planning areas where a new program is being established, the assumed volume of that hospital will be the greater of the actual volume or the minimum volume standard or the estimated volume described in the approved application, including any adjustments made by the department in the course of review and approval.
(b) Step 2. Compute the average percent of out-of-state use of each planning area.
(c) Step 3. Adjust the three years of heart surgery data for patient origin.
(d) Step 4. Compute each planning area's average age-specific use rates.
(e) Step 5. Compute each planning area's average age-specific market shares.
(f) Step 6. Multiply the planning area's average age-specific use rates by the area's corresponding forecast year population. The sum of these figures equals the forecasted number of surgeries expected to be performed on the residents of each planning area.
(((d) Step 4.)) (g) Step 7. Apportion the forecasted
surgeries among the planning areas in accordance with each
area's average age-specific market share for the ((last three
years of the)) four planning areas. This figure equals the
forecasted number of state residents' surgeries expected to
occur within ((the hospitals in)) each planning area. In
those areas where a newly approved program is being
established, an adjustment will be made to reflect anticipated
market share shifts consistent with the approved application.
(((e) Step 5.)) (h) Step 8. Increase the number of
surgeries expected to occur within ((the hospitals in)) each
planning area in accordance with the percent of surgeries
calculated as occurring in ((those hospitals)) each planning
area on out-of-state residents((, based on the average of the
last three years)). This figure equals the total forecasted
number of surgeries expected to occur within ((the hospitals
in)) each planning area.
(((f) Step 6.)) (i) Step 9. Calculate the net need for
additional ((open)) heart surgery ((services)) programs by
subtracting the current capacity from the total forecasted
surgeries.
(((g) Step 7. If the net need is less than the minimum
volume standard, no new programs shall be assumed to be needed
in the planning area. However, hospitals may be granted
certificate of need approval even if the forecasted need is
less than the minimum volume standard, provided:)) (j) Step
10. The department will not grant a certificate of need to
new programs if the net need is less than the minimum volume
standard. An exception may be made and a certificate of need
granted if (j)(i) and (ii) of this subsection can be met:
(i) The applying hospital can meet all the other
certificate of need criteria for ((an open)) a heart surgery
program (including documented evidence of capability of
achieving the minimum volume standard); and
(ii) ((There is documented evidence that)) At least
eighty percent of the ((patients referred for open)) results
identified in subsection (6)(b)(iii) of this section for heart
surgery ((by the medical staff of the applying hospital are
referred to institutions)) received heart surgery at hospitals
more than seventy-five miles away from the applying hospital.
(((5))) (8) For the purposes of the forecasting method in
this section, the following terms have the following specific
meanings:
(a) Age-specific categories. The categories used in computing age-specific values will be fifteen to forty-four year olds, forty-five to sixty-four year olds, sixty-five to seventy-four year olds, and seventy-five and older.
(b) Current capacity. A planning area's current capacity
for ((open)) heart surgeries equals the sum of the highest
reported annual volume for each hospital ((within the planning
area during the most recent available three years data)) with
an approved heart surgery program within the planning area.
In those planning areas where a new program is being
established, the assumed volume of that hospital will be the
greater of the actual volume or the minimum volume standard or
the estimated volume described in the approved application,
including any adjustments made by the department in the course
of review and approval.
(c) Forecast year. ((Open)) Heart surgery service needs
shall be based on forecasts for the fourth year after the
certificate of need ((open)) heart surgery concurrent review
process. ((The 1992 reviews will be based on forecasts for
1996.))
(d) Market share. The market share of a planning area
represents the percent of a planning area's total patient
origin adjusted surgeries that were performed in hospitals
located in that planning area. ((The most recent available
three years data will be used to compute the age-specific
market shares for each planning area.))
(e) ((Open)) Heart surgeries. ((Open)) Heart surgeries
are defined as diagnosis related groups (DRGs) 104 through
((108, inclusive)) 111 as developed under the Centers for
Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) contract. The department
will update the list of codes administratively to reflect
revisions made by CMS to the DRGs to be considered in
certificate of need definitions, analyses and decisions. The
department's updates to DRGs will be based on the definition
of heart surgery contained in subsection (1) of this section.
The update process will specify those ICD procedure codes of a
DRG to be used by the department when CMS revisions result in
only some of the ICD procedure codes meeting the definition of
heart surgery. All pediatric surgeries (ages fourteen and
under) are excluded.
(f) Out-of-state use of planning area hospitals. The
percent of out-of-state use of hospitals within a planning
area will equal the percent of total surgeries occurring
within the planning area's hospitals that were performed on
patients from out-of-state (or on patients whose reported zip
codes are invalid). ((The most recent available three years
data will be used to compute out-of-state use of planning area
hospitals.))
(g) Patient origin adjustment. A patient origin
adjustment of ((open)) heart surgeries provides a count of
surgeries performed on the residents of a planning area
regardless of which planning area the surgeries were performed
in. (Surgeries can be patient origin adjusted by using the
patient's zip code reported in the CHARS data base.)
(h) Planning areas. Four regional health service areas
will be used as planning areas for forecasting ((open)) heart
surgery service needs.
(i) Health service area "one" includes the following counties: Clallam, Island, Jefferson, King, Kitsap, Pierce, San Juan, Snohomish, Skagit, and Whatcom.
(ii) Health service area "two" includes the following counties: Cowlitz, Clark, Grays Harbor, Klickitat, Lewis, Mason, Pacific, Skamania, Thurston, and Wahkiakum.
(iii) Health service area "three" includes the following counties: Benton, Chelan, Douglas, Franklin, Grant, Kittitas, Okanogan, and Yakima.
(iv) Health service area "four" includes Adams, Asotin, Columbia, Ferry, Garfield, Lincoln, Pend Oreille, Stevens, Spokane, Walla Walla, and Whitman.
(v) Use rate. The ((open)) heart surgery use rate equals
the number of surgeries performed on the residents of a
planning area divided by the population of that planning area.
((The most recent available three years data is used to
compute an averaged annual age-specific use rate for the
residents of each of the four planning areas.
(6))) (9) The data source for ((open)) heart surgeries is
the comprehensive hospital abstract reporting system (CHARS),
office of hospital and patient data, department of health.
(((7))) (10) The data source for population estimates and
forecasts is the office of financial management population
trends reports.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 70.38.135(3). 92-12-015 (Order 274), § 246-310-261, filed 5/26/92, effective 6/26/92.]
(2) Adult elective coronary interventions are tertiary services as listed in WAC 246-310-020. To be granted a certificate of need, an adult elective coronary intervention program must meet the standards in this section in addition to applicable review criteria in WAC 246-310-210, 246-310-220, 246-310-230, and 246-310-240.
(3) The department shall review new adult elective coronary intervention services using the concurrent review cycle in this subsection, except as noted in subsection (6) of this section.
(a) Applicants must submit letters of intent between the first working day and last working day of July of each year.
(b) Initial applications must be submitted between the first working day and last working day of August of each year.
(c) The department shall screen initial applications for completeness by the last working day of September of each year.
(d) Responses to screening questions must be submitted by the last working day of October of each year.
(e) The public review and comment period for applications begins on November 16 of each year. If November 16 is not a working day in any year, then the public review and comment period begins on the first working day after November 16.
(f) The public comment period is limited to ninety days, unless extended under WAC 246-310-120 (2)(d). The first sixty days of the public comment period shall be reserved for receiving public comments and conducting a public hearing, if requested. The remaining thirty days shall be for the applicant or applicants to provide rebuttal statements to written or oral statements submitted during the first sixty-day period. Any interested person that:
(i) Is located or resides within the applicant's health service area;
(ii) Testified or submitted evidence at a public hearing; and
(iii) Requested in writing to be informed of the department's decision, must also be provided the opportunity to provide rebuttal statements to written or oral statements submitted during the first sixty-day period.
(g) The final review period may not exceed sixty days, unless extended under WAC 246-310-120 (2)(d).
(4) The department may convert the review of an application that was initially submitted under the concurrent review cycle to a regular review process if the department determines that the application does not compete with another application.
(5) Any letter of intent or certificate of need application submitted for review in advance of this schedule, or certificate of need application under review as of the effective date of this section, shall be held by the department for review according to the schedule in this section.
(6) The department may administratively determine and announce an alternative schedule of the events in subsection (3) of this section, during the first and second year this rule is in force.
(7) Standards.
(a) Hospital volume requirements.
(i) A minimum of two hundred therapeutic catheter-based interventions per year must be performed in hospitals with an adult elective coronary intervention program by the end of the third year of operation and for each year thereafter.
(ii) During the first year of operation, a minimum of one hundred therapeutic catheter-based interventions must be performed.
(b) Hospitals applying for a certificate of need must demonstrate that they can meet one hundred ten percent of the minimum volume standard. The applicant hospital must provide data from CHARS demonstrating:
(i) The zip codes served by the applying hospital;
(ii) The applying hospital's percentage of total adult hospital admissions in the applicable zip codes during the most recent available three years data. Expired patients will not be counted.
(iii) The number of adult therapeutic catheter-based interventions from these zip codes during the most recent available three years data. The percentage established in (b)(ii) of this subsection must then be applied to the number of therapeutic catheter-based interventions. This number must be equal to or greater than two hundred twenty procedures (one hundred ten percent of the minimum volume).
(c) The department will not grant a certificate of need to a new program if the new program would:
(i) Cause the number of procedures at any existing program to drop below two hundred twenty procedures per year; or
(ii) Reduce the number of procedures at any existing program that has not yet reached two hundred twenty procedures per year; or
(iii) Reduce an existing hospital located within fifty miles travel distance that is currently performing in excess of four hundred interventions per year to fewer than four hundred interventions per year.
(d) Physicians performing adult elective coronary interventional procedures at the applying hospital must meet the certification standards in (e) of this subsection and volume standards in (f) of this subsection.
(e) Physician certification standards.
(i) Director of interventional cardiology. At the time the project is initiated, and thereafter, the director of the adult elective coronary intervention program must be U.S. board certified in general cardiology and become U.S. board certified in interventional cardiology within two years.
(ii) Established cardiologists. Established cardiologists are defined as cardiologists out of fellowship for more than two years as of the effective date of this section. At the time of project commencement, and thereafter, established cardiologists must be U.S. board certified or board eligible in interventional cardiology. Board eligible status must not extend beyond five years. Cardiologists certified in general cardiology at time of project commencement and thereafter, must be U.S. Interventional Cardiology Board certified within five years.
(iii) New cardiologists. New cardiologists means those cardiologists out of fellowship for less than two years. At the time of project commencement, and thereafter, new cardiologists must be U.S. board certified or board eligible in interventional cardiology and must maintain certification. Board eligible status must not extend beyond two years.
(iv) An exception to the requirement for interventional cardiology board certification or eligible for both (e)(i) and (ii) of this subsection applies to physicians having acquired board certification in cardiology prior to 2003 and having acquired documented personal post-training experience of at least five hundred interventions or at least one hundred fifty post-training interventions in the preceding two years.
(f) Physicians volume standard.
(i) Established cardiologists. Established cardiologists (including the director of interventional cardiology) must perform a minimum of seventy-five catheter-based therapeutic interventions per year. An exception to this volume standard is given to those established cardiologists who have performed a minimum of five hundred post-training cases during his/her career. For these established cardiologists the minimum volume standard is fifty procedures per year.
(ii) New cardiologists. New cardiologists must perform a minimum of fifty catheter-based therapeutic interventions per year until they have been in post-fellowship practice for two years. After the two-year period, these cardiologists must meet the established cardiologist minimum volume standards.
(g) Hospitals with adult elective coronary intervention programs must have plans for facilitating safe and swift emergency access to heart surgery services at all times for the population they serve. These plans must include, at a minimum:
(i) A formal written transfer agreement for emergency medical/surgical management with at least one hospital that provides heart surgery services, that can be reached expeditiously from the program by available emergency transport within a reasonable amount of time (never to exceed two hours) and that provides the greatest assurance of patient safety;
(ii) A plan for conferences between representatives from the heart surgery program(s) and the elective coronary intervention program to be held at least quarterly, in which a significant number of preoperative and post-operative cases are reviewed, including all transport cases;
(iii) Arrangements for addressing peak volume periods (such as joint agreements with other programs, the capacity to temporarily increase staffing, etc.); and
(iv) The maintenance of, or affiliation with, emergency transportation services (including contingency plans for poor weather and known traffic congestion problems).
(h) Hospitals with adult elective coronary intervention programs must provide a copy of the hospital's QI plan that includes/incorporates a section specific to the adult elective coronary intervention program.
(i) If a certificate of need is issued, it will be conditioned, at a minimum, to require ongoing compliance with the certificate of need standards. Failure to meet the conditioned standards may be grounds for revocation or suspension of a hospital's certificate of need, or other appropriate licensing or certification actions.
(j) If two or more hospitals are competing to meet the same forecasted net need, the department shall consider the following factors when determining which proposal best meets forecasted need:
(i) The most appropriate improvement in geographic access;
(ii) The most cost efficient service;
(iii) Minimizing impact on existing adult coronary intervention programs;
(iv) Providing the greatest breadth and depth of cardiovascular and support services; and
(v) Facilitating emergency access to care.
(k) Hospitals granted a certificate of need have three years from the date of initiating the program to meet the program procedure volume standards.
(l) These standards should be reevaluated every three years.
(8) Need forecasting method. The data used for evaluating applications submitted during the concurrent review cycle will be the most recent three years CHARS data available at the close of the application submittal period for that review cycle.
(a) Step 1. Compute the planning area's current capacity. In those planning areas where a new program has operated less than three years, the assumed volume of that hospital will be the greater of the actual volume or the minimum volume standard or the estimated volume described in the approved application, including any adjustments made by the department in the course of review and approval.
(b) Step 2. Adjust the data for patient origin.
(c) Step 3. Compute the average percent of out-of-state use of each planning area. This is calculated by dividing the number of catheter-based therapeutic interventions occurring within the planning area's hospitals that were performed on residents from out-of-state (or on patients whose reported zip codes are invalid) by the sum of interventions performed on residents of that planning area and out-of-state residents.
(d) Step 4. Compute each planning area's average age-specific use rates.
(e) Step 5. Multiply the planning area's average age-specific use rates by the area's corresponding forecast year population. The sum of these figures equals the forecasted number of catheter-based therapeutic interventions expected to be performed on the residents of each planning area.
(f) Step 6. For each planning area, increase the number of projected catheter-based therapeutic interventions in accordance with the percent of catheter-based therapeutic interventions projected for out-of-state residents.
(g) Step 7. Calculate the net need for additional adult elective coronary intervention programs by subtracting the current capacity from the results of step 6.
(h) Step 8. The department will not grant a certificate of need for new programs if the net need is less than the minimum volume standard. An exception may be made and a certificate of need granted if (h)(i) and either (ii) or (iii) of this subsection can be met:
(i) The applying hospital meets all the other certificate of need criteria for an adult elective coronary intervention program (including documented evidence of capability of achieving the minimum volume standard); and
(ii) There is no existing program in the planning area; or
(iii) If there is an existing program in the planning area, eighty percent of the results identified in subsection (7)(b)(iii) of this section for catheter-based therapeutic interventions received interventional services at hospitals more than seventy-five miles away.
(9) For the purposes of the forecasting method in this section, the following terms have the following specific meanings:
(a) Age-specific categories. The categories used in computing age-specific values will be fifteen to forty-four year olds, forty-five to sixty-four year olds, sixty-five to seventy-four year olds, and seventy-five and older.
(b) Current capacity. A planning area's current capacity for adult elective coronary interventions equals the sum of the highest reported annual volume for each hospital with an approved adult interventional program or a department grandfathered program within the planning area. In those planning areas where a new program has operated less than three years, the assumed volume of that hospital will be the greater of the actual volume or the minimum volume standard or the estimated volume described in the approved application, including any adjustments made by the department in the course of review and approval.
(c) Forecast year. Adult elective coronary intervention service needs must be based on forecasts for the fourth year after the certificate of need adult elective coronary intervention concurrent review process.
(d) Adult elective coronary interventions. Adult elective coronary interventions means diagnosis related groups as developed under the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) contract that describe catheter-based interventions involving the coronary arteries and great arteries of the chest. All pediatric catheter-based therapeutic and diagnostic interventions (ages fourteen and under) are excluded. The department will update the list of codes administratively to reflect future revisions made by CMS to the DRGs to be considered in certificate of need definitions, analyses, and decisions. The department's updates to DRGs will be based on the definition of adult elective coronary interventions contained in WAC 246-310-262(1).
(e) Patient origin adjustment. A patient origin adjustment of catheter-based therapeutic interventions provides a count of interventions performed on the residents of a planning area regardless of which planning area the interventions were performed in. (Interventions can be patient origin adjusted by using the patient's zip code reported in the CHARS data base.)
(f) Planning areas. Planning area means each individual county designated by the department as the smallest geographic area for which adult coronary interventions are projected.
(g) Use rate. The adult elective coronary intervention use rate equals the number of catheter-based therapeutic interventions performed on the residents of a planning area divided by the population of that planning area.
(h) Grandfathered programs means those hospitals operating a certificate of need approved interventional cardiac catheterization program or heart surgery program prior to the effective date of these rules. For hospitals with jointly operated programs, only the hospital where the program's procedures were approved to be performed will be grandfathered.
(10) The data source for adult elective coronary interventions is the comprehensive hospital abstract reporting system (CHARS), office of hospital and patient data, department of health.
(11) The data source for population estimates and forecasts is the office of financial management population trends reports.
[Statutory Authority: Chapter 70.38 RCW. 96-24-052, § 246-310-262, filed 11/27/96, effective 12/28/96. Statutory Authority: RCW 70.38.135(3). 92-12-015 (Order 274), § 246-310-262, filed 5/26/92, effective 6/26/92.]
OTS-7617.1
AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending WSR 03-22-020, filed 10/27/03,
effective 11/27/03)
WAC 246-310-990
Certificate of need review fees.
(1) An
application for a certificate of need under chapter 246-310 WAC must include payment of a fee consisting of the following:
(a) A review fee based on the facility/project type;
(b) If more than one facility/project type applies to an application, the review fee for each type of facility/project must be included.
| Facility/Project Type | Review Fee | |
| Ambulatory Surgical Centers/Facilities | $13,379.00 | |
| Amendments to Issued Certificates of Need | $8,432.00 | |
| Emergency Review | $5,427.00 | |
| Exemption Requests | ||
| • | Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs)/Health Maintenance Organization (HMOs) | $5,427.00 |
| • | Bed Banking/Conversions | $883.00 |
| • | Determinations of Nonreviewability | $1,261.00 |
| • | Hospice Care Center | $1,136.00 |
| • | Nursing Home Replacement/Renovation Authorizations | $1,136.00 |
| • | Nursing Home Capital Threshold under RCW 70.38.105 (4)(e) (Excluding Replacement/Renovation Authorizations) | $1,136.00 |
| • | Rural Hospital/Rural Health Care Facility | $1,136.00 |
| Extensions | ||
| • | Bed Banking | $505.00 |
| • | Certificate of Need/Replacement Renovation Authorization Validity Period | $505.00 |
| Home Health Agency | $16,155.00 | |
| Hospice Agency | $14,388.00 | |
| Hospice Care Centers | $8,432.00 | |
| Hospital (Excluding Transitional Care Units-TCUs, Ambulatory Surgical Center/Facilities, Home Health, Hospice, and Kidney Disease Treatment Centers) | $26,506.00 | |
| Kidney Disease Treatment Centers | $16,409.00 | |
| Nursing Homes (Including CCRCs and TCUs) | $30,293.00 | |
(a) If an amendment to a pending certificate of need application results in the addition of one or more facility/project types, the review fee for each additional facility/project type must accompany the amendment application;
(b) If an amendment to a pending certificate of need application results in the removal of one or more facility/project types, the department shall refund to the applicant the difference between the review fee previously paid and the review fee applicable to the new facility/project type; or
(c) If an amendment to a pending certificate of need application results in any other change as identified in WAC 246-310-100, a fee of one thousand three hundred fifty-one dollars must accompany the amendment application.
(3) Where a hospital simultaneously submits applications for heart surgery and elective coronary interventions certificates of need, as required by WAC 246-310-261(2), the combined fee for the two applications will be one hundred fifty percent of the normally required sum for one application.
(4) If a certificate of need application is returned by the department under WAC 246-310-090 (2)(b) or (e), the department shall refund seventy-five percent of the review fees paid.
(((4))) (5) If an applicant submits a written request to
withdraw a certificate of need application before the
beginning of review, the department shall refund seventy-five
percent of the review fees paid by the applicant.
(((5))) (6) If an applicant submits a written request to
withdraw a certificate of need application after the beginning
of review, but before the beginning of the ex parte period,
the department shall refund one-half of all review fees paid.
(((6))) (7) If an applicant submits a written request to
withdraw a certificate of need application after the beginning
of the ex parte period the department shall not refund any of
the review fees paid.
(((7))) (8) Review fees for exemptions and extensions are
nonrefundable.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 43.70.250 and 70.38.105(5). 03-22-020, § 246-310-990, filed 10/27/03, effective 11/27/03. Statutory Authority: Chapters 70.127 and 70.38 RCW. 03-07-096, § 246-310-990, filed 3/19/03, effective 4/19/03. Statutory Authority: RCW 70.38.105 and 2002 c 371. 02-14-051, § 246-310-990, filed 6/27/02, effective 7/28/02. Statutory Authority: RCW 70.38.105(5) and 43.70.110. 01-15-094, § 246-310-990, filed 7/18/01, effective 8/18/01. Statutory Authority: RCW 70.38.105(5). 99-23-089, § 246-310-990, filed 11/16/99, effective 12/17/99. Statutory Authority: Chapter 70.38 RCW. 96-24-052, § 246-310-990, filed 11/27/96, effective 12/28/96. Statutory Authority: RCW 70.38.135, 43.70.250 and 70.38.919. 92-02-018 (Order 224), § 246-310-990, filed 12/23/91, effective 1/23/92. Statutory Authority: RCW 43.70.040. 91-02-049 (Order 121), recodified as § 246-310-990, filed 12/27/90, effective 1/31/91. Statutory Authority: Chapter 70.38 RCW. 90-15-001 (Order 070), § 440-44-030, filed 7/6/90, effective 8/6/90. Statutory Authority: RCW 43.20A.055. 89-21-042 (Order 2), § 440-44-030, filed 10/13/89, effective 11/13/89; 87-16-084 (Order 2519), § 440-44-030, filed 8/5/87; 87-12-049 (Order 2494), § 440-44-030, filed 6/1/87; 84-13-006 (Order 2109), § 440-44-030, filed 6/7/84; 83-21-015 (Order 2037), § 440-44-030, filed 10/6/83. Statutory Authority: 1982 c 201. 82-13-011 (Order 1825), § 440-44-030, filed 6/4/82.]
The following section of the Washington Administrative Code is repealed:
| WAC 246-310-132 | Open heart surgery concurrent review cycle. |