FINAL BILL REPORT

                  HB 3005

                          C 59 L 00

                     Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description:  Allowing for greater coronary health care in certain rural areas.

Sponsors:  Representatives Grant, Mastin, Keiser and Santos.

House Committee on Health Care

Senate Committee on Health & Long-Term Care

Background:

The certificate of need (CON) program, within the Department of Health (DOH),  reviews and authorizes a variety of new health care facilities such as hospitals, nursing homes, renal disease treatment centers, and Medicare certified home health and hospice agencies.  The program also reviews and authorizes new bed additions to hospitals and nursing homes, additions of kidney dialysis stations, new tertiary services in hospitals, and nursing home capital expenditures.  The program staff develop service specific planning and review criteria, coordinate planning and review activities with public and community organizations, provide technical information and assistance to applicants, and conduct public hearings as requested.

The Department of Health's CON program staff initiated a new review of the methodologies used to evaluate applications for specific projects and services.

Summary of Bill:

The Department of Health is directed to review, revise, and develop a new methodology to be applied to Certificate of Need (CON) applications for specified cardiac tertiary health services.  These tertiary health services are:  1) open heart surgery; 2) therapeutic cardiac catheterization; and 3) percutaneous translumenal coronary angioplasty.  The new methodology must be adopted as rules, and be applied to new applications, replacing the current methodology.

The methodology for the cardiac services is scheduled for immediate review and revision, and incorporation into rule. The department's review and rulemaking process must involve a wide variety of stakeholders.  These may include persons working in cardiac surgery programs, cardiac surgeons not directly affiliated with existing hospital programs, and representatives of medical education.

Votes on Final Passage:

House970

Senate460

Effective:March 22, 2000