CHAPTER 368z*

HEALTH SYSTEMS PLANNING UNIT

*See Sec. 17a-468b re residences for adults with acquired brain injuries.

Annotations to former chapter 334a:

A rule or “guideline” having substantial impact on rights and obligations of those regulated must be promulgated in accordance with Uniform Administrative Procedure Act. 177 C. 356.

Cited. 32 CS 300.

Annotations to former chapter 368c:

Cited. 196 C. 451; 210 C. 697; 226 C. 105; 235 C. 128; 238 C. 216.

Table of Contents


Note: Readers should refer to the 2024 Supplement, revised to January 1, 2024, for updated versions of statutes amended, repealed or added during the 2023 legislative sessions.


Sec. 19a-610. Short title: Office of Health Care Access Act.

Sec. 19a-611. Definitions.

Sec. 19a-612. Health Systems Planning Unit within Office of Health Strategy.

Sec. 19a-612a. Office within Department of Public Health for administrative purposes only.

Sec. 19a-612b. Office of Health Care Access to be successor agency to the Commission on Hospitals and Health Care.

Sec. 19a-612c. Term “Commission on Hospitals and Health Care” deemed to mean “Office of Health Care Access”.

Sec. 19a-612d. Health Systems Planning Unit overseen by executive director of the Office of Health Strategy.

Sec. 19a-613. Powers and duties. Data collection.

Sec. 19a-614. Support staff and consultants.

Sec. 19a-615. Health Care Reform Review Board. Reports.

Sec. 19a-616. Connecticut Health Care Data Institute. Regulations.

Sec. 19a-617. Advisory board.

Sec. 19a-617a. Demonstration project converting acute care hospital to provider of other medical services. Certificate of need waiver, property tax abatement.

Sec. 19a-617b. Demonstration project for long-term acute care hospitals or satellite facilities. Waiver of licensure requirements. Certificate of need. Report.

Sec. 19a-617c. Payments for services provided in long-term acute care hospitals or satellite facilities.

Secs. 19a-618 to 19a-622. Definitions. Collection; methodology; reporting requirements. Fee schedule; reports, analyses and studies. Confidentiality of data. Filing of data with institute.

Secs. 19a-623 to 19a-629. Reserved

Sec. 19a-630. (Formerly Sec. 19a-145). Definitions.

Sec. 19a-630a. Affiliate deemed controlled by another person.

Sec. 19a-631. (Formerly Sec. 19a-148a). Assessments of hospitals for expenses of the unit.

Sec. 19a-632. (Formerly Sec. 19a-148b). Calculation of assessment and costs.

Sec. 19a-632a. Payment of assessment by electronic funds transfer.

Sec. 19a-633. (Formerly Sec. 19a-149). Investigative powers.

Sec. 19a-634. (Formerly Sec. 19a-150). State-wide health care facility utilization study. State-wide health care facilities and services plan. Inventory of health care facilities, equipment and services.

Secs. 19a-635 and 19a-636. (Formerly Secs. 19a-151 and 19a-152). Rate-setting powers. Requests for approval of lesser increases.

Sec. 19a-637. (Formerly Sec. 19a-153). Office to promote effective health planning in the state.

Sec. 19a-637a. Short-term acute care general or children's hospitals to submit budgets for next hospital fiscal year.

Sec. 19a-638. (Formerly Sec. 19a-154). Certificate of need. When required and not required. Request for unit determination. Policies, procedures and regulations.

Sec. 19a-639. (Formerly Sec. 19a-155). Certificate of need guidelines and principles. Application involving transfer of ownership of a hospital; denial; conditions on approval; hiring of post-transfer compliance reporter.

Sec. 19a-639a. Certificate of need application process. Issuance of decision. Public hearings. Policies, procedures and regulations.

Sec. 19a-639b. Certificate of need. Validity, extension, revocation and nontransferability. Policies, procedures and regulations.

Sec. 19a-639c. Proposed relocation of a health care facility. Policies, procedures and regulations.

Sec. 19a-639d. Certificate of need. Waiver for year 2000 computer capability.

Sec. 19a-639e. Proposed termination of service by a health care facility. Policies, procedures and regulations.

Sec. 19a-639f. Certificate of need involving hospital ownership. Cost and market impact review.

Sec. 19a-640. (Formerly Sec. 19a-156). Submission and review of proposed budget. Hearing. Guidelines. Revisions.

Sec. 19a-641. (Formerly Sec. 19a-158). Appeals.

Sec. 19a-642. (Formerly Sec. 19a-159). Judicial enforcement.

Sec. 19a-643. (Formerly Sec. 19a-160). Regulations.

Sec. 19a-644. (Formerly Sec. 19a-161). Annual reports of short-term acute care general or children's hospitals. Regulations on affiliation or control of health care facilities and institutions. Required reporting of audited financial statements.

Sec. 19a-645. (Formerly Sec. 19a-162). Taking of land to enlarge hospitals.

Sec. 19a-646. (Formerly Sec. 19a-166). Negotiation of discounts and different rates and methods of payments with hospitals. Filing with the unit.

Sec. 19a-647. (Formerly Sec. 19a-166b). Preferred provider network. Definitions. Filing requirements.

Sec. 19a-648. (Formerly Sec. 19a-167e). Performance or billing by affiliates after the base year. Adjustments. Civil penalty.

Sec. 19a-649. (Formerly Sec. 19a-167f). Uncompensated care. Annual submission of information.

Sec. 19a-650. (Formerly Sec. 19a-167g). Regulations.

Sec. 19a-651. (Formerly Sec. 19a-167h). Data requirement. Rate order compliance. Adjustment.

Sec. 19a-652. (Formerly Sec. 19a-167i). Termination of prospective payment system. Savings clause.

Sec. 19a-653. (Formerly Sec. 19a-167j). Failure to file data or information. Civil penalty. Notice. Extension. Hearing. Appeal. Deduction from Medicaid payments.

Sec. 19a-654. (Formerly Sec. 19a-167k). Data submission requirements. Memorandum of understanding. Regulations.

Sec. 19a-655. (Formerly Sec. 19a-167l). Hospital budget calculations for the fiscal year commencing October 1, 1993.

Secs. 19a-656 to 19a-658. (Formerly Secs. 19a-167m to 19a-167o). Compliance assessment calculation for fiscal year commencing October 1, 1991, to be applied in fiscal year commencing fiscal year October 1, 1993. Request for adjustment to authorized net and gross revenue and authorized equivalent discharges for fiscal year commencing October 1, 1993; limitations; filings. Pricemaster adjustment; request procedure; limitations; data requirement; report.

Sec. 19a-659. (Formerly Sec. 19a-170). Definitions.

Sec. 19a-660. (Formerly Sec. 19a-168g). Adjustments to orders.

Sec. 19a-661. (Formerly Sec. 19a-168i). Penalty.

Sec. 19a-662. (Formerly Sec. 19a-168j). Cost reduction plan requirement. Regulations.

Sec. 19a-663. (Formerly Sec. 19a-168p). Bond authorization.

Secs. 19a-664 and 19a-665. (Formerly Secs. 19a-168s and 19a-168t). Assessment factor for the uncompensated care pool adjustments for the fiscal year commencing October 1, 1993. Authorized governmental shortfall calculation for the fiscal year commencing October 1, 1993.

Sec. 19a-666. (Formerly Sec. 19a-168u). Uncompensated care pool expenditures.

Secs. 19a-667 and 19a-668. (Formerly Secs. 19a-168v and 19a-168w). Uncompensated care pool termination; final settlement. Assistance for termination of uncompensated care pool.

Sec. 19a-669. (Formerly Sec. 19a-169). Determination and information re disproportionate share payments and emergency assistance to families.

Sec. 19a-670. (Formerly Sec. 19a-169a). Unit to report on review and financial stability of hospitals.

Sec. 19a-670a. Application for federal approval by the Department of Social Services.

Sec. 19a-670b. Construction with respect to children's general hospitals.

Secs. 19a-671 (Formerly Sec. 19a-169b) and 19a-671a. Calculation and determination of payments. Adjustment of overpayments for disproportionate share-medical emergency assistance by reducing Medicaid payments.

Sec. 19a-671b. Provisions for waiver of certain penalties and interest assessed pertaining to liability for taxes owed under chapter 211a or 219.

Secs. 19a-672 (Formerly Sec. 19a-169c) and 19a-672a. Use of medical assistance disproportionate share-emergency assistance account funds. Payments when short-term general hospital changes ownership during fiscal year.

Sec. 19a-673. (Formerly Sec. 19a-169e). Collections by hospitals and entities owned by or affiliated with a hospital from uninsured patients.

Sec. 19a-673a. Regulations re uniform debt collection standards for hospitals.

Sec. 19a-673b. Initiation of debt collection activities.

Sec. 19a-673c. Debt collection report.

Sec. 19a-673d. Cessation of collection efforts upon debtor's eligibility for bed funds or other services.

Secs. 19a-674 and 19a-675. (Formerly Secs. 19a-170a and 19a-170b). Net revenue limit. Filings for partial or detailed budget review; hearings.

Sec. 19a-676. (Formerly Sec. 19a-170c). Compliance with authorized revenue limits.

Sec. 19a-676a. Termination of net revenue compliance payments.

Sec. 19a-677. (Formerly Sec. 19a-170d). Computation of relative cost of hospitals.

Sec. 19a-678. (Formerly Sec. 19a-170e). Inflation factor.

Sec. 19a-679. (Formerly Sec. 19a-170f). Computation of equivalent discharges. Inpatient and outpatient gross revenues and units of service.

Sec. 19a-680. (Formerly Sec. 19a-170g). Net revenue limit interim adjustment.

Sec. 19a-681. Definitions. Filing of current pricemaster. Charges to be in accordance with detailed schedule of charges on file. Penalty.

Sec. 19a-682. Additional billing for services rendered from November 1, 1994, through June 1, 1995.

Sec. 19a-683. Reconciliation account.

Secs. 19a-684 to 19a-689. Reserved


Sec. 19a-610. Short title: Office of Health Care Access Act. Section 19a-610 is repealed, effective October 6, 2009.

(May Sp. Sess. 94-3, S. 5, 28; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3, S. 61; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-7, S. 176.)

Sec. 19a-611. Definitions. Section 19a-611 is repealed, effective July 1, 2008.

(May Sp. Sess. P.A. 94-3, S. 6, 28; June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-8, S. 27, 88; P.A. 08-14, S. 8.)

Sec. 19a-612. Health Systems Planning Unit within Office of Health Strategy. (a) There is established, within the Office of Health Strategy, established under section 19a-754a, a unit to be known as the Health Systems Planning Unit. The unit, under the direction of the executive director of the Office of Health Strategy, shall constitute a successor to the former Office of Health Care Access, in accordance with the provisions of sections 4-38d and 4-39.

(b) Any order, decision, agreed settlement or regulation of the former Office of Health Care Access which is in force on July 1, 2018, shall continue in force and effect as an order or regulation of the Office of Health Strategy until amended, repealed or superseded pursuant to law.

(c) If the words “Office of Health Care Access” are used or referred to in any public or special act of 2009 or in any section of the general statutes which is amended in 2009, such words shall be deemed to mean or refer to the Office of Health Care Access division within the Department of Public Health. If the words “Office of Health Care Access” are used or referred to in any public or special act of 2018 or in any section of the general statutes which is amended in 2018, such words shall be deemed to mean or refer to the Health Systems Planning Unit within the Office of Health Strategy.

(May Sp. Sess. P.A. 94-3, S. 7, 28; P.A. 95-257, S. 36, 58; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3, S. 1; P.A. 18-91, S. 14.)

History: May Sp. Sess. P.A. 94-3 effective July 1, 1994; P.A. 95-257 deleted provisions re governing board and how its members are selected, replacing the board with a commissioner and setting forth his appointment and qualifications, effective July 1, 1995; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3 designated existing provisions as Subsec. (a), amended same to provide that Office of Health Care Access is division within Department of Public Health and successor to former office, added Subsec. (b) re continued effectiveness of any order, decision, agreed settlement or regulation of Office of Health Care Access and added Subsec. (c) providing that references to Office of Health Care Access in 2009 acts are deemed to refer to Office of Health Care Access division within Department of Public Health, effective October 6, 2009; P.A. 18-91 replaced references to Office of Health Care Access within Department of Public Health with references to Health Systems Planning Unit within Office of Health Strategy, amended Subsec. (b) to replace “October 6, 2009” with “July 1, 2018”, amended Subsec. (c) to add provision re use of “Office of Health Care Access”, and made technical and conforming changes, effective May 14, 2018.

See Sec. 1-101aa re provider participation in informal committees, task forces and work groups of office not deemed to be lobbying.

Sec. 19a-612a. Office within Department of Public Health for administrative purposes only. Section 19a-612a is repealed, effective October 6, 2009.

(P.A. 95-257, S. 34, 58; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3, S. 61; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-7, S. 176.)

Sec. 19a-612b. Office of Health Care Access to be successor agency to the Commission on Hospitals and Health Care. Section 19a-612b is repealed, effective October 6, 2009.

(P.A. 95-257, S. 35, 58; P.A. 98-150, S. 14, 17; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3, S. 61; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-7, S. 176.)

Sec. 19a-612c. Term “Commission on Hospitals and Health Care” deemed to mean “Office of Health Care Access”. Section 19a-612c is repealed, effective October 1, 2002.

(P.A. 95-257, S. 39, 58; P.A. 02-101, S. 15; S.A. 02-12, S. 1.)

Sec. 19a-612d. Health Systems Planning Unit overseen by executive director of the Office of Health Strategy. (a) The executive director of the Office of Health Strategy shall oversee the Health Systems Planning Unit and shall exercise independent decision-making authority over all certificate of need decisions.

(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, the Deputy Commissioner of Public Health shall retain independent decision-making authority over only the certificate of need applications that are pending before the Office of Health Care Access and have been deemed completed by said office on or before May 14, 2018. Following the issuance by the Deputy Commissioner of Public Health of a final decision on any such certificate of need application, the executive director of the Office of Health Strategy shall exercise independent authority on any further action required on such certificate of need application or the certificate of need issued pursuant to such application.

(Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3, S. 2; P.A. 11-242, S. 24; P.A. 18-91, S. 15.)

History: Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3 effective October 6, 2009; P.A. 11-242 substituted “certificate of need decisions” for “certificate of need related matters” re deputy commissioner's independent decision-making authority and deleted provisions re former commissioner of office serving as deputy commissioner, designation of executive assistant by deputy commissioner and report to General Assembly; P.A. 18-91 designated existing provisions re decision-making authority over certificate of need decisions as Subsec. (a) and amended same to delete provision notwithstanding the general statutes, replace reference to Deputy Commissioner of Public Health with reference to executive director of Office of Health Strategy, replace reference to Office of Health Care Access division of Department of Public Health with reference to Health Systems Planning Unit, and made conforming changes, and added Subsec. (b) re Deputy Commissioner of Public Health to retain independent decision-making authority over pending certificate of need applications, effective May 14, 2018.

Sec. 19a-613. Powers and duties. Data collection. (a) The Health Systems Planning Unit may employ the most effective and practical means necessary to fulfill the purposes of this chapter, which may include, but need not be limited to:

(1) Collecting patient-level outpatient data from health care facilities or institutions, as defined in section 19a-630;

(2) Establishing a cooperative data collection effort, across public and private sectors, to assure that adequate health care personnel demographics are readily available; and

(3) Performing the duties and functions as enumerated in subsection (b) of this section.

(b) The unit shall: (1) Authorize and oversee the collection of data required to carry out the provisions of this chapter; (2) oversee and coordinate health system planning for the state; (3) monitor health care costs; and (4) implement and oversee health care reform as enacted by the General Assembly.

(c) The executive director of the Office of Health Strategy, or any person the executive director designates, may conduct a hearing and render a final decision in any case when a hearing is required or authorized under the provisions of any statute dealing with the Health Systems Planning Unit.

(May Sp. Sess. P.A. 94-3, S. 8, 28; P.A. 95-257, S. 37, 58; June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-8, S. 28, 88; P.A. 98-36, S. 3; 98-87, S. 2; P.A. 99-172, S. 1, 7; P.A. 05-151, S. 1; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3, S. 3; P.A. 18-91, S. 16.)

History: May Sp. Sess. P.A. 94-3 effective July 1, 1994; P.A. 95-257 deleted former Subsec. (b) re responsibility for a state health regulation and financing plan, and former Subsec. (d) re a working group to study a regional health care plan, relettered the remaining Subsecs. accordingly and amended new Subsec. (b) by requiring coordination with the Health Care Data Institute and by adding new Subdiv. (4) re continuing the functions and duties of chapter 368c and renumbering the remaining Subdiv. and added new Subsec. (c) re hearings and decisions by a designee, effective July 1, 1995; June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-8 made technical changes in Subsec. (b) reflecting the abolishment of the Connecticut Health Care Data Institute, effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 98-36 made a technical correction, changing reference to sections to “this chapter”; P.A. 98-87 amended Subsec. (a) to add Subdivs. (1) and (2) re collecting data, changed “shall” to “may” and changed section reference to chapter reference; P.A. 99-172 made a technical change in Subsec. (c) and added Subsecs. (d) re graduate medical education and (e) re reports, effective June 23, 1999; P.A. 05-151 deleted Subsecs. (d) and (e) re graduate medical education reporting requirements; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3 amended Subsec. (c) by substituting Commissioner of Public Health for Commissioner of Health Care Access, effective October 6, 2009; P.A. 18-91 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing “Office of Health Care Access” with “Health Systems Planning Unit”, amended Subsec. (b) by replacing “office” with “unit” and amended Subsec. (c) by replacing references to Commissioner of Public Health with references to executive director of the Office of Health Strategy, and replaced “Office of Health Care Access” with “Health Systems Planning Unit”, effective May 14, 2018.

Sec. 19a-614. Support staff and consultants. The executive director of the Office of Health Strategy may employ and pay professional and support staff subject to the provisions of chapter 67 and contract with and engage consultants and other independent professionals as may be necessary or desirable to carry out the functions of the Health Systems Planning Unit.

(May Sp. Sess. P.A. 94-3, S. 9, 28; P.A. 95-257, S. 38, 58; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3, S. 4; P.A. 18-91, S. 17.)

History: May Sp. Sess. P.A. 94-3 effective July 1, 1994; P.A. 95-257 eliminated the position of executive director and advisory committee, made establishment of the consumer education unit optional, replaced “board” with “Commissioner of Health Care Access” and relettered the Subsecs., effective July 1, 1995; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3 amended Subsec. (a) by substituting Commissioner of Public Health for Commissioner of Health Care Access, effective October 6, 2009; P.A. 18-91 replaced “Commissioner of Public Health” with “executive director of the Office of Health Strategy”, replaced “office” with “Health Systems Planning Unit”, deleted Subsec. (b) re consumer education unit, and deleted Subsec. (a) designator, effective May 14, 2018.

Sec. 19a-615. Health Care Reform Review Board. Reports. Section 19a-615 is repealed, effective July 1, 1995.

(May Sp. Sess. P.A. 94-3, S. 11, 28; P.A. 95-257, S. 57, 58.)

Sec. 19a-616. Connecticut Health Care Data Institute. Regulations. Section 19a-616 is repealed, effective July 1, 1997.

(May Sp. Sess. P.A. 94-3, S. 12, 28; June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-8, S. 87, 88.)

Sec. 19a-617. Advisory board. Section 19a-617 is repealed, effective July 1, 1995.

(May Sp. Sess. P.A. 94-3, S. 13, 28; P.A. 95-257, S. 57, 58.)

Sec. 19a-617a. Demonstration project converting acute care hospital to provider of other medical services. Certificate of need waiver, property tax abatement. Section 19a-617a is repealed, effective July 1, 2005.

(P.A. 96-238, S. 22, 23, 25; P.A. 05-151, S. 13.)

Sec. 19a-617b. Demonstration project for long-term acute care hospitals or satellite facilities. Waiver of licensure requirements. Certificate of need. Report. Section 19a-617b is repealed, effective May 14, 2018.

(P.A. 03-275, S. 1; P.A. 18-91, S. 80.)

Sec. 19a-617c. Payments for services provided in long-term acute care hospitals or satellite facilities. Section 19a-617c is repealed, effective July 1, 2012.

(P.A. 03-275, S. 2; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3, S. 61; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-7, S. 176; June 12 Sp. Sess. P.A. 12-1, S. 294.)

Secs. 19a-618 to 19a-622. Definitions. Collection; methodology; reporting requirements. Fee schedule; reports, analyses and studies. Confidentiality of data. Filing of data with institute. Sections 19a-618 to 19a-622, inclusive, are repealed, effective July 1, 1997.

(May Sp. Sess. P.A. 94-3, S. 14–18, 28; P.A. 97-47, S. 22; June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-2, S. 93, 165; June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-8, S. 87, 88.)

Secs. 19a-623 to 19a-629. Reserved for future use.

Sec. 19a-630. (Formerly Sec. 19a-145). Definitions. As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires:

(1) “Affiliate” means a person, entity or organization controlling, controlled by or under common control with another person, entity or organization. Affiliate does not include a medical foundation organized under chapter 594b.

(2) “Applicant” means any person or health care facility that applies for a certificate of need pursuant to section 19a-639a.

(3) “Bed capacity” means the total number of inpatient beds in a facility licensed by the Department of Public Health under sections 19a-490 to 19a-503, inclusive.

(4) “Capital expenditure” means an expenditure that under generally accepted accounting principles consistently applied is not properly chargeable as an expense of operation or maintenance and includes acquisition by purchase, transfer, lease or comparable arrangement, or through donation, if the expenditure would have been considered a capital expenditure had the acquisition been by purchase.

(5) “Certificate of need” means a certificate issued by the unit.

(6) “Days” means calendar days.

(7) “Executive director” means the executive director of the Office of Health Strategy.

(8) “Free clinic” means a private, nonprofit community-based organization that provides medical, dental, pharmaceutical or mental health services at reduced cost or no cost to low-income, uninsured and underinsured individuals.

(9) “Large group practice” means eight or more full-time equivalent physicians, legally organized in a partnership, professional corporation, limited liability company formed to render professional services, medical foundation, not-for-profit corporation, faculty practice plan or other similar entity (A) in which each physician who is a member of the group provides substantially the full range of services that the physician routinely provides, including, but not limited to, medical care, consultation, diagnosis or treatment, through the joint use of shared office space, facilities, equipment or personnel; (B) for which substantially all of the services of the physicians who are members of the group are provided through the group and are billed in the name of the group practice and amounts so received are treated as receipts of the group; or (C) in which the overhead expenses of, and the income from, the group are distributed in accordance with methods previously determined by members of the group. An entity that otherwise meets the definition of group practice under this section shall be considered a group practice although its shareholders, partners or owners of the group practice include single-physician professional corporations, limited liability companies formed to render professional services or other entities in which beneficial owners are individual physicians.

(10) “Health care facility” means (A) hospitals licensed by the Department of Public Health under chapter 368v; (B) specialty hospitals; (C) freestanding emergency departments; (D) outpatient surgical facilities, as defined in section 19a-493b and licensed under chapter 368v; (E) a hospital or other facility or institution operated by the state that provides services that are eligible for reimbursement under Title XVIII or XIX of the federal Social Security Act, 42 USC 301, as amended; (F) a central service facility; (G) mental health facilities; (H) substance abuse treatment facilities; and (I) any other facility requiring certificate of need review pursuant to subsection (a) of section 19a-638. “Health care facility” includes any parent company, subsidiary, affiliate or joint venture, or any combination thereof, of any such facility.

(11) “Nonhospital based” means located at a site other than the main campus of the hospital.

(12) “Office” means the Office of Health Strategy.

(13) “Person” means any individual, partnership, corporation, limited liability company, association, governmental subdivision, agency or public or private organization of any character, but does not include the agency conducting the proceeding.

(14) “Physician” has the same meaning as provided in section 20-13a.

(15) “Termination of services” means the cessation of any services for a period greater than one hundred eighty days.

(16) “Transfer of ownership” means a transfer that impacts or changes the governance or controlling body of a health care facility, institution or large group practice, including, but not limited to, all affiliations, mergers or any sale or transfer of net assets of a health care facility.

(17) “Unit” means the Health Systems Planning Unit.

(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; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3, S. 5; P.A. 10-179, S. 83; P.A. 14-168, S. 5; P.A. 15-146, S. 36; P.A. 18-91, S. 18; P.A. 22-118, S. 226.)

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; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3 amended prefatory language by adding “unless the context otherwise requires”, redefined “office” in Subdiv. (3) by adding “division of the Department of Public Health” and redefined “commissioner” in Subdiv. (4) by substituting Commissioner of Public Health for Commissioner of Health Care Access, effective October 6, 2009; P.A. 10-179 replaced former Subdivs. (1) to (5) with new Subdivs. (1) to (14) re definitions applicable to certificate of need process; P.A. 14-168 added new Subdiv. (10) defining “group practice”, redesignated existing Subdivs. (10) to (13) as Subdivs. (11) to (14), added Subdiv. (15) defining “physician”, and redesignated existing Subdiv. (14) as Subdiv. (16) and amended same by adding reference to group practice, effective July 1, 2014; P.A. 15-146 amended Subdivs. (10) and (16) by replacing “group practice” with “large group practice”, effective July 1, 2015; P.A. 18-91 amended Subdiv. (5) by replacing “office” with “unit”, deleted Subdivs. (7) and (8) defining deputy commissioner and commissioner, respectively, added new Subdiv. (7) defining “executive director”, redesignated Subdivs. (9) to (12) as Subdivs. (8) to (11), redesignated Subdiv. (13) as Subdiv. (12) and amended same to replace reference to Office of Health Care Access with reference to Office of Health Strategy, redesignated Subdivs. (14) to (16) as Subdivs. (13) to (15), and added Subdiv. (16) defining “unit”, effective May 14, 2018; P.A. 22-118 added definition for “termination of services” as Subdiv. (15) and redesignated existing Subdivs. (15) and (16) as (16) and (17), effective May 7, 2022.

Annotation to former section 19-73b:

Cited. 182 C. 314.

Annotation to former section 19a-145:

Cited. 214 C. 321.

Sec. 19a-630a. Affiliate deemed controlled by another person. For purposes of this chapter, an affiliate is deemed controlled by another person if the other person, or one of that other person's affiliates, officers or management employees, acting in such capacity, acts as a general partner of a general or limited partnership or manager of a limited liability company.

(P.A. 99-172, S. 3, 7; P.A. 05-75, S. 1; P.A. 09-212, S. 8; P.A. 10-179, S. 84.)

History: P.A. 99-172 effective June 23, 1999; P.A. 05-75 redefined “affiliate” and extended the new definition to Secs. 19a-639b and 19a-639c, and deleted the definition of “health-care-related person”; P.A. 09-212 excluded medical foundations from definition of “affiliate”, effective July 1, 2009; P.A. 10-179 removed definition of “affiliate”.

Sec. 19a-631. (Formerly Sec. 19a-148a). Assessments of hospitals for expenses of the unit. (a) As used in this section, section 19a-632 and section 19a-632a, “hospital” means each hospital subject to the provisions of this chapter and licensed as a short-term acute-care general hospital or a children's hospital or both by the Department of Public Health.

(b) Each hospital shall annually pay to the executive director of the Office of Health Strategy, for deposit in the General Fund, an amount equal to its share of the actual expenditures made by the unit during each fiscal year including the cost of fringe benefits for unit personnel as estimated by the Comptroller, the amount of expenses for central state services attributable to the unit for the fiscal year as estimated by the Comptroller, plus the expenditures made on behalf of the unit from the Capital Equipment Purchase Fund pursuant to section 4a-9 for such year. Payments shall be made by assessment of all hospitals of the costs calculated and collected in accordance with the provisions of this section and section 19a-632. If for any reason a hospital ceases operation, any unpaid assessment for the operations of the unit shall be reapportioned among the remaining hospitals to be paid in addition to any other assessment.

(P.A. 93-229, S. 18, 21; 93-381, S. 9, 39; 93-435, S. 59, 95; P.A. 95-257, S. 12, 21, 42, 58; P.A. 98-22, S. 1, 3; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3, S. 6; P.A. 11-242, S. 88; P.A. 18-91, S. 19.)

History: P.A. 93-229 effective June 4, 1993; P.A. 93-381 and 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; P.A. 95-257 replaced Commissioner and Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Commissioner and Department of Public Health and “commission” with “office”, qualified expenditures made by the office as those which are accountable to the functions of the office transferred from the Commission on Hospitals and Health Care, and deleted reference to a fiscal year 1993 share, effective July 1, 1995; Sec. 19a-148a transferred to Sec. 19a-631 in 1997; P.A. 98-22 amended Subsec. (b) to require payment to the Commissioner of Health Care Access rather than Commissioner of Public Health, deleted reference to expenditures “which are accountable to the functions of the office transferred from the Commission on Hospitals and Health Care” and added provision re reapportionment of payments when a hospital ceases operation, effective July 1, 1998; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3 amended Subsec. (b) by substituting Commissioner of Public Health for Commissioner of Health Care Access, effective October 6, 2009; P.A. 11-242 amended Subsec. (a) by adding reference to Sec. 19a-632a, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 18-91 amended Subsec. (b) by replacing “Commissioner of Public Health” with “executive director of the Office of Health Strategy” and “office” with “unit”, effective May 14, 2018.

Annotation to former section 19a-148a:

Cited. 235 C. 128.

Sec. 19a-632. (Formerly Sec. 19a-148b). Calculation of assessment and costs. (a) On or before September first, annually, the Health Systems Planning Unit shall determine (1) the total net revenue of each hospital for the most recently completed hospital fiscal year beginning October first; and (2) the proposed assessment on the hospital for the state fiscal year. The assessment on each hospital shall be calculated by multiplying the hospital's percentage share of the total net revenue specified in subdivision (1) of this subsection times the costs of the unit, as determined in subsection (b) of this section.

(b) The costs of the unit shall be the total of (1) the amount appropriated for expenses for the operation of the unit for the fiscal year, as estimated by the Comptroller, (2) the cost of fringe benefits for unit personnel for such year, as estimated by the Comptroller, (3) the amount of expenses for central state services attributable to the unit for the fiscal year as estimated by the Comptroller, and (4) the estimated expenditures on behalf of the unit from the Capital Equipment Purchase Fund pursuant to section 4a-9 for such year, provided for purposes of this calculation the amount of expenses for the operation of the unit for the fiscal year as estimated by the Comptroller, plus the cost of fringe benefits for personnel, the amount of expenses for said central state services for the fiscal year as estimated by the Comptroller, and said estimated expenditures from the Capital Equipment Purchase Fund pursuant to section 4a-9 shall be deemed to be the actual expenditures of the unit.

(c) On or before December thirty-first, annually, for each fiscal year, each hospital shall pay the unit twenty-five per cent of its proposed assessment, adjusted to reflect any credit or amount due under the recalculated assessment for the preceding state fiscal year as determined pursuant to subsection (d) of this section or any reapportioned assessment pursuant to subsection (b) of section 19a-631. The hospital shall pay the remaining seventy-five per cent of its assessment to the unit in three equal installments on or before the following March thirty-first, June thirtieth and September thirtieth, annually.

(d) Immediately following the close of each state fiscal year the executive director shall recalculate the proposed assessment for each hospital based on the costs of the unit in accordance with subsection (b) of this section using the actual expenditures made by the unit during that fiscal year and the actual expenditures made on behalf of the unit from the Capital Equipment Purchase Fund pursuant to section 4a-9. On or before August thirty-first, annually, the unit shall render to each hospital a statement showing the difference between the respective recalculated assessment and the amount previously paid. On or before September thirtieth, the executive director, after receiving any objections to such statements, shall make such adjustments which in said executive director's opinion may be indicated and shall render an adjusted assessment, if any, to the affected hospitals. Adjustments to reflect any credit or amount due under the recalculated assessment for the previous state fiscal year shall be made to the proposed assessment due on or before December thirty-first of the following state fiscal year.

(e) If any assessment is not paid when due, the executive director shall impose a fee equal to (1) two per cent of the assessment if such failure to pay is for not more than five days, (2) five per cent of the assessment if such failure to pay is for more than five days but not more than fifteen days, or (3) ten per cent of the assessment if such failure to pay is for more than fifteen days. If a hospital fails to pay any assessment for more than thirty days after the date when due, the executive director may, in addition to the fees imposed pursuant to this subsection, impose a civil penalty of up to one thousand dollars per day for each day past the initial thirty days that the assessment is not paid. Any civil penalty authorized by this subsection shall be imposed by the executive director in accordance with subsections (b) to (e), inclusive, of section 19a-653.

(f) The unit shall deposit all payments received pursuant to this section with the State Treasurer. The moneys so deposited shall be credited to the General Fund and shall be accounted for as expenses recovered from hospitals.

(P.A. 93-229, S. 19, 21; P.A. 95-257, S. 39, 43, 58; P.A. 98-22, S. 2, 3; P.A. 03-222, S. 1; P.A. 06-64, S. 4; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3, S. 7; P.A. 11-242, S. 86; P.A. 18-91, S. 20.)

History: P.A. 93-229 effective June 4, 1993; P.A. 95-257 replaced Commission on Hospitals and Health Care with Office of Health Care Access, “commission” with “office” and “chairman of the commission” with “commissioner” and amended Subsecs. (a)(1) and Subsec. (b)(4) to qualify expenditures as those accountable or attributable to the functions of the office, effective July 1, 1995; Sec. 19a-148b transferred to Sec. 19a-632 in 1997; P.A. 98-22 deleted, in Subsecs. (a) and (b), reference to expenditures “which are accountable to the functions of the office transferred from the Commission on Hospitals and Health Care,” changed “total of that portion of” to “total of” in Subsec. (b), inserted “or any reapportioned assessment pursuant to subsection (b) of section 19a-631” in Subsec. (c) and required the “office” rather than the “commissioner” to render recalculated assessments in Subsec. (d), effective July 1, 1998; P.A. 03-222 amended Subsec. (d) by changing due date of statement from office to hospital from July thirty-first to August thirty-first, changing due date of adjusted assessment from August thirty-first to September thirtieth and making a technical change, effective July 1, 2003; P.A. 06-64 deleted Subsec. (g) re inclusion of assessments in computation of net and gross revenue caps, effective July 1, 2006; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3 amended Subsec. (b) by adding “for expenses” and “as estimated by the Comptroller,” in Subdiv. (1) and by replacing “so appropriated” with “of expenses for the operation of the office for the fiscal year as estimated by the Comptroller,” in Subdiv. (4), effective October 6, 2009; P.A. 11-242 amended Subsec. (e) by replacing provision re fee and interest charged when assessment is not timely paid with provision re late fee based on number of days that assessment payment is overdue and by adding provisions permitting commissioner to impose a civil penalty not to exceed $1000 per day for each day past initial 30 days that assessment is not paid, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 18-91 replaced references to Office of Health Care Access with references to Health Systems Planning Unit, and amended Subsecs. (d) and (e) by replacing references to commissioner with references to executive director, effective May 14, 2018.

Annotation to former section 19a-148b:

Cited. 235 C. 128.

Sec. 19a-632a. Payment of assessment by electronic funds transfer. (a) For purposes of this section, “electronic funds transfer” has the same meaning as provided in section 12-685.

(b) The Office of Health Strategy may require a hospital to pay an assessment levied pursuant to section 19a-632 by way of an approved method of electronic funds transfer.

(c) A hospital making an electronic funds transfer pursuant to this section shall initiate such transfer in a timely fashion to ensure that a bank account designated by the department is credited by electronic funds transfer for the amount of the assessment required to be made by such method on or before the date such assessment is due.

(d) Where an assessment is required to be made by electronic funds transfer, any payment made by a method other than electronic funds transfer shall be treated as an assessment not made in a timely manner, and any payment made by electronic funds transfer, where the bank account designated by the department is not credited for the amount of the assessment on or before the date such assessment is due, shall be treated as an assessment not made in a timely manner. Any assessment treated under this subsection as an assessment not made in a timely manner shall be subject to a penalty in accordance with subsection (e) of this section.

(e) Where any assessment is treated under subsection (d) of this section as an assessment not made in a timely manner because it is made by means other than electronic funds transfer, there shall be imposed a penalty equal to ten per cent of the assessment required to be made by electronic funds transfer. Where any assessment made by electronic funds transfer is treated under subsection (d) of this section as an assessment not made in a timely manner because the bank account designated by the department is not credited by electronic funds transfer for the amount of the assessment on or before the date such assessment is due, there shall be imposed a penalty equal to (1) two per cent of the assessment required to be made by electronic funds transfer, if such failure to pay by electronic funds transfer is for not more than five days; (2) five per cent of the assessment required to be made by electronic funds transfer, if such failure to pay by electronic funds transfer is for more than five days but not more than fifteen days; or (3) ten per cent of the assessment required to be made by electronic funds transfer, if such failure to pay by electronic funds transfer is for more than fifteen days.

(f) The office shall deposit all payments received pursuant to this section with the State Treasurer. The moneys so deposited shall be credited to the General Fund and shall be accounted for as expenses recovered from hospitals.

(P.A. 11-242, S. 89; P.A. 18-91, S. 21, 22.)

History: P.A. 11-242 effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 18-91 amended Subsec. (b) by replacing “Department of Public Health” with “Office of Health Strategy” and amended Subsec. (f) by replacing “department” with “office”, effective May 14, 2018.

Sec. 19a-633. (Formerly Sec. 19a-149). Investigative powers. The executive director, or any agent authorized by such executive director to conduct any inquiry, investigation or hearing under the provisions of this chapter, shall have power to administer oaths and take testimony under oath relative to the matter of inquiry or investigation. At any hearing ordered by the unit, the executive director or such agent having authority by law to issue such process may subpoena witnesses and require the production of records, papers and documents pertinent to such inquiry. If any person disobeys such process or, having appeared in obedience thereto, refuses to answer any pertinent question put to such person by the executive director or such executive director's authorized agent or to produce any records and papers pursuant thereto, the executive director or such executive director's agent may apply to the superior court for the judicial district of Hartford or for the judicial district wherein the person resides or wherein the business has been conducted, or to any judge of said court if the same is not in session, setting forth such disobedience to process or refusal to answer, and said court or such judge shall cite such person to appear before said court or such judge to answer such question or to produce such records and papers.

(P.A. 73-117, S. 7, 31; P.A. 78-280, S. 2, 6, 127; P.A. 88-230, S. 1, 12; P.A. 90-98, S. 1, 2; P.A. 93-142, S. 4, 7, 8; P.A. 95-220, S. 4–6; 95-257, S. 44, 58; P.A. 18-91, S. 23.)

History: P.A. 78-280 replaced “county” with “judicial district” and “Hartford county” with “judicial district of Hartford-New Britain”; Sec. 19-73g transferred to Sec. 19a-149 in 1983; P.A. 88-230 replaced “judicial district of Hartford-New Britain” with “judicial district of Hartford”, effective September 1, 1991; P.A. 90-98 changed the effective date of P.A. 88-230 from September 1, 1991, to September 1, 1993; P.A. 93-142 changed the effective date of P.A. 88-230 from September 1, 1993, to September 1, 1996, effective June 14, 1993; P.A. 95-220 changed the effective date of P.A. 88-230 from September 1, 1996, to September 1, 1998, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 95-257 replaced variants of “commission” with “commissioner” or “office”, effective July 1, 1995; Sec. 19a-149 transferred to Sec. 19a-633 in 1997; P.A. 18-91 replaced “commissioner” with “executive director”, replaced “office” with “unit”, and made technical changes, effective May 14, 2018.

Annotations to former section 19a-149:

Cited. 226 C. 105; 235 C. 128.

Cited. 42 CS 413.

Sec. 19a-634. (Formerly Sec. 19a-150). State-wide health care facility utilization study. State-wide health care facilities and services plan. Inventory of health care facilities, equipment and services. (a) The Health Systems Planning Unit shall conduct, on a biennial basis, a state-wide health care facility utilization study. Such study may include an assessment of: (1) Current availability and utilization of acute hospital care, hospital emergency care, specialty hospital care, outpatient surgical care, primary care and clinic care; (2) geographic areas and subpopulations that may be underserved or have reduced access to specific types of health care services; and (3) other factors that the unit deems pertinent to health care facility utilization. Not later than June thirtieth of the year in which the biennial study is conducted, the executive director of the Office of Health Strategy shall report, in accordance with section 11-4a, to the Governor and the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to public health and human services on the findings of the study. Such report may also include the unit's recommendations for addressing identified gaps in the provision of health care services and recommendations concerning a lack of access to health care services.

(b) The unit, in consultation with such other state agencies as the executive director deems appropriate, shall establish and maintain a state-wide health care facilities and services plan. Such plan may include, but not be limited to: (1) An assessment of the availability of acute hospital care, hospital emergency care, specialty hospital care, outpatient surgical care, primary care and clinic care; (2) an evaluation of the unmet needs of persons at risk and vulnerable populations as determined by the executive director; (3) a projection of future demand for health care services and the impact that technology may have on the demand, capacity or need for such services; and (4) recommendations for the expansion, reduction or modification of health care facilities or services. In the development of the plan, the unit shall consider the recommendations of any advisory bodies which may be established by the executive director. The executive director may also incorporate the recommendations of authoritative organizations whose mission is to promote policies based on best practices or evidence-based research. The executive director, in consultation with hospital representatives, shall develop a process that encourages hospitals to incorporate the state-wide health care facilities and services plan into hospital long-range planning and shall facilitate communication between appropriate state agencies concerning innovations or changes that may affect future health planning. The unit shall update the state-wide health care facilities and services plan not less than once every two years.

(c) For purposes of conducting the state-wide health care facility utilization study and preparing the state-wide health care facilities and services plan, the unit shall establish and maintain an inventory of all health care facilities, the equipment identified in subdivisions (9) and (10) of subsection (a) of section 19a-638, and services in the state, including health care facilities that are exempt from certificate of need requirements under subsection (b) of section 19a-638. The unit shall develop an inventory questionnaire to obtain the following information: (1) The name and location of the facility; (2) the type of facility; (3) the hours of operation; (4) the type of services provided at that location; and (5) the total number of clients, treatments, patient visits, procedures performed or scans performed in a calendar year. The inventory shall be completed biennially by health care facilities and providers and such health care facilities and providers shall not be required to provide patient specific or financial data.

(P.A. 73-117, S. 8, 31; P.A. 75-562, S. 4, 8; P.A. 77-192, S. 5, 13; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-11, S. 14, 25; P.A. 93-381, S. 9, 39; P.A. 95-257, S. 12, 21, 45, 58; P.A. 09-77, S. 1; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3, S. 8; P.A. 10-18, S. 12; 10-179, S. 85; P.A. 11-183, S. 3; P.A. 12-170, S. 5; P.A. 18-91, S. 24.)

History: P.A. 75-562 required that recommendations be made to health commissioner rather than to governor and general assembly; P.A. 77-192 required consultation with state bureau of health planning and development and deleted commission's duty to formulate state-wide health care program for improving delivery of services; Sec. 19-73h transferred to Sec. 19a-150 in 1983; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-11 replaced reference to “state bureau of health planning and development” with department of health services, replaced utilization review with utilization study, and added Subsec. (b) requiring the commission to establish and maintain a state-wide health care facilities plan; P.A. 93-381 replaced department of health services with department of public health and addiction services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 95-257 replaced “commission” with “Office of Health Care Access” and “office” and “Department of Public Health and Addiction Services” with “Department of Public Health”, effective July 1, 1995; Sec. 19a-150 transferred to Sec. 19a-634 in 1997; P.A. 09-77 amended Subsec. (a) by eliminating Department of Public Health's consultative role in conducting annual state-wide health care facility utilization study and by revising scope of study, and amended Subsec. (b) by expanding commissioner's authority to incorporate recommendations of other agencies and entities in developing state-wide health care facilities plan, by revising scope of plan and by requiring that plan be updated on or before July 1, 2012, and every five years thereafter, effective July 1, 2009; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing “Commissioner of Health Care Access” with “office”, by replacing “commissioner” with “Commissioner of Public Health” and by replacing “commissioner's” with “office's” and amended Subsec. (b) by substituting Commissioner of Public Health for Commissioner of Health Care Access, effective October 6, 2009; P.A. 10-18 made a technical change in Subsec. (b)(1); P.A. 10-179 amended Subsec. (b) by replacing “state-wide health care facilities plan” with “state-wide health care facilities and services plan” and added Subsec. (c) re inventory of health care facilities, equipment and services; P.A. 11-183 amended Subsec. (c) by making a technical change, effective July 13, 2011; P.A. 12-170 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing “annual” with “biennial” re study and “shall” with “may” re assessments to be included and making technical changes and amended Subsec. (b) by replacing provision requiring update to plan every 5 years with provision requiring update once every 2 years; P.A. 18-91 replaced references to Office of Health Care Access with references to Health Systems Planning Unit, and replaced references to Commissioner of Public Health with references to executive director of Office of Health Strategy, effective May 14, 2018.

Annotations to former section 19a-150:

Cited. 200 C. 489; 208 C. 663; 214 C. 321; 226 C. 105; 235 C. 128.

Secs. 19a-635 and 19a-636. (Formerly Secs. 19a-151 and 19a-152). Rate-setting powers. Requests for approval of lesser increases. Sections 19a-635 and 19a-636 are repealed, effective July 1, 2002.

(P.A. 73-117, S. 9, 10, 11, 31; P.A. 74-78, S. 1, 2; P.A. 75-235; P.A. 78-109, S. 3, 6; 78-264, S. 3, 4; P.A. 79-182, S. 3; P.A. 80-7; P.A. 81-465, S. 3, 18; 81-472, S. 45, 159; P.A. 86-69, S. 1–3; P.A. 87-189, S.1–3; P.A. 88-317, S. 79, 107; P.A. 89-371, S. 14, 15; June Sp. Sess. 91-11, S. 15, 25; P.A. 93-262, S. 16, 87; May 25 Sp. Sess. P.A. 94-1, S. 46, 47, 130; P.A. 95-257, S. 39, 58; P.A. 02-101, S. 20.)

Sec. 19a-637. (Formerly Sec. 19a-153). Office to promote effective health planning in the state. Section 19a-637 is repealed, effective May 14, 2018.

(P.A. 73-117, S. 12, 31; P.A. 77-192, S. 6, 13; 77-304, S. 1; 77-614, S. 323, 587, 610; P.A. 78-303, S. 85, 136; P.A. 80-13; P.A. 81-465, S. 4, 18; 81-472, S. 46, 130, 159; P.A. 82-472, S. 62, 183; P.A. 84-315, S. 21, 24; P.A. 88-8, S. 2; P.A. 89-371, S. 12; P.A. 93-381, S. 9, 30, 39; May 25 Sp. Sess. P.A. 94-1, S. 48, 130; P.A. 95-257, S. 12, 21, 39, 58; P.A. 02-101, S. 16; P.A. 05-151, S. 3; P.A. 08-14, S. 1; P.A. 09-11, S. 7; P.A. 10-179, S. 86; P.A. 18-91, S. 80.)

Sec. 19a-637a. Short-term acute care general or children's hospitals to submit budgets for next hospital fiscal year. Section 19a-637a is repealed, effective October 1, 2010.

(P.A. 02-101, S. 1; P.A. 03-12, S. 1; P.A. 06-64, S. 5; P.A. 10-179, S. 161.)

Sec. 19a-638. (Formerly Sec. 19a-154). Certificate of need. When required and not required. Request for unit determination. Policies, procedures and regulations. (a) A certificate of need issued by the unit shall be required for:

(1) The establishment of a new health care facility;

(2) A transfer of ownership of a health care facility;

(3) A transfer of ownership of a large group practice to any entity other than a (A) physician, or (B) group of two or more physicians, legally organized in a partnership, professional corporation or limited liability company formed to render professional services and not employed by or an affiliate of any hospital, medical foundation, insurance company or other similar entity;

(4) The establishment of a freestanding emergency department;

(5) The termination of inpatient or outpatient services offered by a hospital, including, but not limited to, the termination by a short-term acute care general hospital or children's hospital of inpatient and outpatient mental health and substance abuse services;

(6) The establishment of an outpatient surgical facility, as defined in section 19a-493b, or as established by a short-term acute care general hospital;

(7) The termination of surgical services by an outpatient surgical facility, as defined in section 19a-493b, or a facility that provides outpatient surgical services as part of the outpatient surgery department of a short-term acute care general hospital, provided termination of outpatient surgical services due to (A) insufficient patient volume, or (B) the termination of any subspecialty surgical service, shall not require certificate of need approval;

(8) The termination of an emergency department by a short-term acute care general hospital;

(9) The establishment of cardiac services, including inpatient and outpatient cardiac catheterization, interventional cardiology and cardiovascular surgery;

(10) The acquisition of computed tomography scanners, magnetic resonance imaging scanners, positron emission tomography scanners or positron emission tomography-computed tomography scanners, by any person, physician, provider, short-term acute care general hospital or children's hospital, except (A) as provided for in subdivision (22) of subsection (b) of this section, and (B) a certificate of need issued by the unit shall not be required where such scanner is a replacement for a scanner that was previously acquired through certificate of need approval or a certificate of need determination;

(11) The acquisition of nonhospital based linear accelerators;

(12) An increase in the licensed bed capacity of a health care facility, except as provided in subdivision (23) of subsection (b) of this section;

(13) The acquisition of equipment utilizing technology that has not previously been utilized in the state;

(14) An increase of two or more operating rooms within any three-year period, commencing on and after October 1, 2010, by an outpatient surgical facility, as defined in section 19a-493b, or by a short-term acute care general hospital; and

(15) The termination of inpatient or outpatient services offered by a hospital or other facility or institution operated by the state that provides services that are eligible for reimbursement under Title XVIII or XIX of the federal Social Security Act, 42 USC 301, as amended.

(b) A certificate of need shall not be required for:

(1) Health care facilities owned and operated by the federal government;

(2) The establishment of offices by a licensed private practitioner, whether for individual or group practice, except when a certificate of need is required in accordance with the requirements of section 19a-493b or subdivision (3), (10) or (11) of subsection (a) of this section;

(3) A health care facility operated by a religious group that exclusively relies upon spiritual means through prayer for healing;

(4) Residential care homes, as defined in subsection (c) of section 19a-490, and nursing homes and rest homes, as defined in subsection (o) of section 19a-490;

(5) An assisted living services agency, as defined in section 19a-490;

(6) Home health agencies, as defined in section 19a-490;

(7) Hospice services, as described in section 19a-122b;

(8) Outpatient rehabilitation facilities;

(9) Outpatient chronic dialysis services;

(10) Transplant services;

(11) Free clinics, as defined in section 19a-630;

(12) School-based health centers and expanded school health sites, as such terms are defined in section 19a-6r, community health centers, as defined in section 19a-490a, not-for-profit outpatient clinics licensed in accordance with the provisions of chapter 368v and federally qualified health centers;

(13) A program licensed or funded by the Department of Children and Families, provided such program is not a psychiatric residential treatment facility;

(14) Any nonprofit facility, institution or provider that has a contract with, or is certified or licensed to provide a service for, a state agency or department for a service that would otherwise require a certificate of need. The provisions of this subdivision shall not apply to a short-term acute care general hospital or children's hospital, or a hospital or other facility or institution operated by the state that provides services that are eligible for reimbursement under Title XVIII or XIX of the federal Social Security Act, 42 USC 301, as amended;

(15) A health care facility operated by a nonprofit educational institution exclusively for students, faculty and staff of such institution and their dependents;

(16) An outpatient clinic or program operated exclusively by or contracted to be operated exclusively by a municipality, municipal agency, municipal board of education or a health district, as described in section 19a-241;

(17) A residential facility for persons with intellectual disability licensed pursuant to section 17a-227 and certified to participate in the Title XIX Medicaid program as an intermediate care facility for individuals with intellectual disabilities;

(18) Replacement of existing imaging equipment if such equipment was acquired through certificate of need approval or a certificate of need determination, provided a health care facility, provider, physician or person notifies the unit of the date on which the equipment is replaced and the disposition of the replaced equipment;

(19) Acquisition of cone-beam dental imaging equipment that is to be used exclusively by a dentist licensed pursuant to chapter 379;

(20) The partial or total elimination of services provided by an outpatient surgical facility, as defined in section 19a-493b, except as provided in subdivision (6) of subsection (a) of this section and section 19a-639e;

(21) The termination of services for which the Department of Public Health has requested the facility to relinquish its license;

(22) Acquisition of any equipment by any person that is to be used exclusively for scientific research that is not conducted on humans; or

(23) On or before June 30, 2026, an increase in the licensed bed capacity of a mental health facility, provided (A) the mental health facility demonstrates to the unit, in a form and manner prescribed by the unit, that it accepts reimbursement for any covered benefit provided to a covered individual under: (i) An individual or group health insurance policy providing coverage of the type specified in subdivisions (1), (2), (4), (11) and (12) of section 38a-469; (ii) a self-insured employee welfare benefit plan established pursuant to the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended from time to time; or (iii) HUSKY Health, as defined in section 17b-290, and (B) if the mental health facility does not accept or stops accepting reimbursement for any covered benefit provided to a covered individual under a policy, plan or program described in clause (i), (ii) or (iii) of subparagraph (A) of this subdivision, a certificate of need for such increase in the licensed bed capacity shall be required.

(c) (1) Any person, health care facility or institution that is unsure whether a certificate of need is required under this section, or (2) any health care facility that proposes to relocate pursuant to section 19a-639c shall send a letter to the unit that describes the project and requests that the unit make a determination as to whether a certificate of need is required. In the case of a relocation of a health care facility, the letter shall include information described in section 19a-639c. A person, health care facility or institution making such request shall provide the unit with any information the unit requests as part of its determination process.

(d) The executive director of the Office of Health Strategy may implement policies and procedures necessary to administer the provisions of this section while in the process of adopting such policies and procedures as regulation, provided the executive director holds a public hearing prior to implementing the policies and procedures and posts notice of intent to adopt regulations on the office's Internet web site and the eRegulations System not later than twenty days after the date of implementation. Policies and procedures implemented pursuant to this section shall be valid until the time final regulations are adopted.

(e) On or before June 30, 2026, a mental health facility seeking to increase licensed bed capacity without applying for a certificate of need, as permitted pursuant to subdivision (23) of subsection (b) of this section, shall notify the Office of Health Strategy, in a form and manner prescribed by the executive director of said office, regarding (1) such facility's intent to increase licensed bed capacity, (2) the address of such facility, and (3) a description of all services that are being or will be provided at such facility.

(f) Not later than January 1, 2025, the executive director of the Office of Health Strategy shall report to the Governor and, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to public health concerning the executive director's recommendations, if any, regarding the establishment of an expedited certificate of need process for mental health facilities.

(P.A. 73-117, S. 13, 31; P.A. 77-192, S. 7, 13; 77-304, S. 2; 77-601, S. 7, 11; P.A. 79-98, S. 1, 4; P.A. 80-73, S. 4; P.A. 81-211; 81-441, S. 1; 81-465, S. 5, 9, 18; P.A. 82-415, S. 15, 18; P.A. 83-215, S. 1, 3; P.A. 86-374, S. 2, 6; P.A. 87-192, S. 1, 3; 87-420, S. 11, 14; P.A. 89-72, S. 1, 5; 89-325, S. 12, 26; P.A. 91-48, S. 1, 4; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-8, S. 27, 63; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-12, S. 10; P.A. 92-220, S. 1, 2; P.A. 93-229, S. 3, 21; 93-262, S. 1, 17, 87; 93-381, S. 9, 39; 93-406, S. 1, 6; 93-435, S. 59, 95; P.A. 94-236, S. 9, 10; P.A. 95-257, S. 12, 21, 39, 46, 58; P.A. 97-112, S. 2; P.A. 98-150, S. 2, 17; P.A. 02-89, S. 34; P.A. 03-17, S. 1; P.A. 05-75, S. 2; 05-93, S. 1; 05-280, S. 58; P.A. 06-28, S. 1; 06-64, S. 6; 06-196, S. 214; P.A. 08-14, S. 3; P.A. 09-232, S. 92; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3, S. 9; P.A. 10-179, S. 87; P.A. 11-10, S. 1; 11-129, S. 8; 11-183, S. 1; 11-242, S. 80; P.A. 13-139, S. 17; P.A. 14-168, S. 6; P.A. 15-59, S. 4; 15-146, S. 37, 39; P.A. 18-91, S. 25; P.A. 19-118, S. 74; P.A. 22-47, S. 31.)

History: P.A. 77-192 included state health care facilities or institutions in provisions of section; P.A. 77-304 specified applicability to facilities or institutions which intend to “transfer all or any part of its ownership or control prior to being initially licensed” and specified factors to be considered in review if transfer of ownership or control is proposed; P.A. 77-601 added provisions concerning applicability of provisions to home health care, homemaker-home health aide, or coordination assessment and monitoring agencies and added Subsec. (b) re approval of home health care, homemaker-home health aide or coordination, assessment and monitoring agencies; P.A. 79-98 made provisions applicable to inpatient rehabilitation facilities affiliated with Easter Seal Society; P.A. 80-73 allowed commission to modify requests as well as to grant or deny requests in Subsec. (a); P.A. 81-211 mandated commission approval in Subsec. (a) for decreases in services to medical assistance patients by termination of Medicaid provider agreements; 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 and by extending review to any facility plan to terminate a health service or to substantially decrease bed capacity; P.A. 81-465 amended Subsec. (a) to exempt home health care and homemaker-home health care agencies from commission review relative to transfers of ownership prior to initial licensure or increased staffing or services, and added provisions, codified by the Revisors as Subsec. (c), re coordination of activities between commission and health systems agencies; P.A. 82-415 eliminated exception for ambulatory service programs by health maintenance organizations from provision requiring submission of request for permission to add a function or service or to increase staff in Subsec. (a); Sec. 19-73l transferred to Sec. 19a-154 in 1983; P.A. 83-215 exempted ambulatory services established and conducted by a health maintenance organization from certificate of need review, 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. 86-374 deleted references to coordination, assessment and monitoring agencies, including all of Subsec. (b), relettering Subsec. (c) accordingly; P.A. 87-192 deleted references to 90-day review period and added the provision re extension of the review period for 30 days; P.A. 87-420 deleted references to health systems agency and deleted the provision re coordination of activities with health systems agencies; P.A. 89-72 amended Subsec. (b) to change “shall” to “may” with regard to holding of hearings, adopting of regulations and establishing of a schedule which provides for completed applications pertaining to similar types of services; P.A. 89-325 deleted provisions re the decrease in services to recipients of medical assistance benefits in Subsec. (a); P.A. 91-48 restated Subsec. (a) provision re agencies required to request permission to undertake transfer of ownership or control, to institute additional functions or services or to terminate functions and services or to reduce bed capacity; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-8 added Subsecs. (d), (e) and (f) re moratorium on certificate of need for additional nursing home beds, on additional requests for beds from residential facilities for the mentally retarded, and any requests to modify the capital cost or expiration date of approval; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-12 amended Subsec. (c) requiring the commission to adopt regulations requiring that applications for certificates be submitted in cycles; P.A. 92-220 amended Subsec. (d) by extending moratorium through June 30, 1994, and adding provision re date by which construction shall begin and date by which nursing home shall be licensed under certificates of need in effect August 1, 1991, amended Subsec. (e) by deleting provision re expiration of approval of additional nursing home beds granted on or before July 1, 1991, and substituting definition of “a continuing care facility which guarantees life care for its residents”, added Subsec. (g) re joint request for merger of certificates of need, added Subsec. (h) re when construction shall be deemed to have begun, added Subsec. (i) re when financing shall be deemed to have been obtained, and added Subsec. (j) re when financing shall be deemed to have been obtained on and after March 1, 1993; P.A. 93-229 added Subsec. (a)(4) re submission of letter of intent, amended Subsec. (b) re exception to 90-day review period, adding language explaining that emergency nature to include compliances with fire, building or life safety code and that the letter of intent may be waived and amended Subsec. (c) to change “shall” to “may” re adoption of regulations, effective June 4, 1993; P.A. 93-262 deleted homemaker-home health aide agencies and added nursing homes, homes for the aged, rest homes and certain residential facilities for the mentally retarded as facilities to which section applies, deleted Subsecs. (d) to (g), inclusive, and (i) re requests for additional nursing home beds, continuing care facilities, requests for beds in residential facilities for the mentally retarded, certificates of need and financing methods, relettering remaining Subsecs. as necessary, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 93-381 replaced department of health services with department of public health and addiction services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 93-406 added Subsecs. (f) and (g) re expiration of certificates of need for nursing home beds, effective June 29, 1993 (Revisor's note: Pursuant to P.A. 93-262, 93-381 and 93-435 references to commissioners and departments of health services and income maintenance were replaced editorially by the Revisors by references to commissioners and departments of public health and addiction services and social services, respectively); P.A. 94-236 deleted former Subsec. (g) regarding nonexpiration of certificate of need if additional beds are used for a continuing care facility, effective June 7, 1994; P.A. 95-257 replaced Commission on Hospitals and Health Care and “commission” with Office of Health Care Access and “office” or “commissioner”, replaced Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Department of Public Health and deleted reference to a tie vote of the former commission, effective July 1, 1995; Sec. 19a-154 transferred to Sec. 19a-638 in 1997; P.A. 97-112 replaced “home for the aged” with “residential care home”; P.A. 98-150 added reference to exceptions in introductory language of Subsec. (a) and deleted the exceptions throughout section, reworded transfer as Subpara. (A) in Subsec. (a)(1) and added Subparas. (B) and (C), changed “transfer” to “transfer or change” in Subsec. (a)(1), amended Subdiv. (a)(4) by adding “replacement or additional”, adding “or relocation” to “expansion” adding references to change in ownership or control, termination of services or reduction in bed capacity or type, capital expenditure over $1,000,000 and acquisition of specified equipment over $400,000, added “value or expenditure” to Subdiv. (a)(4)(C), changed 90 days to 60 in Subdiv. (a)(4)(E) and added exception re one-time extension, amended Subsec. (b) by adding “new” and “expansion or the termination” to service or function and adding reference to termination or change of ownership throughout Subsec., added “affiliate of such hospital or any combination thereof”, replaced reference to future budget adjustments with Subdivs. (1), (2) and language re exclusion during review period, amended Subsec. (c) 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. (a)(3) by replacing “decrease” with “reduce” and changed licensed bed capacity to total bed capacity and required notice when letter of intent received in Subsec. (a)(4), made technical changes in Subsec. (b) and added Subsec. (c)(1) to (3) re public hearings on complete certificate of need applications under certain circumstances; P.A. 05-75 added Subsec. (c)(3) by adding Subpara. (A) designator and new Subpara. (B) 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)(4) by 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 and by making technical changes, effective July 1, 2005; P.A. 05-280 amended Subsec. (a) by adding reference to Sec. 19a-487a, effective July 1, 2005; P.A. 06-28 amended Subsec. (a)(4) 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) by allowing waiver of letter of intent requirement when a function, service or termination or change of ownership or control 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 Subsec. (a)(4), effective June 7, 2006; P.A. 08-14 amended Subsec. (a)(4) by substituting 21 days for 15 business days, substituting 7 days for 5 business days and making technical changes, amended Subsec. (b) by substituting not less than 14 days for at least 10 business days, amended Subsec. (c)(3) by making a technical change, and deleted Subsecs. (d) to (f), effective July 1, 2008; P.A. 09-232 amended Subsec. (a)(1) by deleting “all or part of” in Subpara. (A) and by defining “transfer its ownership or control”, amended Subsec. (a)(4)(B) by substituting “transfer of its ownership or control” for “change in ownership or control” in clause (iii) and by eliminating “cineangiography equipment” in clause (viii) and amended Subsec. (b) by making conforming changes, effective July 1, 2009; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3 amended Subsec. (b) by inserting “or the commissioner's designee”, effective October 6, 2009; P.A. 10-179 replaced former Subsecs. (a) to (c) with new Subsecs. (a) to (d) re when certificate of need is and is not required, letters to office for determination re whether certificate is required and authority of Commissioner of Public Health to implement policies and procedures while in process of adopting regulations; P.A. 11-10 amended Subsec. (a)(8) by adding reference to exception provided in Subsec. (b)(23) and added Subsec. (b)(23) exempting acquisition of equipment used exclusively for scientific research not conducted on humans from certificate of need requirements, effective May 24, 2011; P.A. 11-129 amended Subsec. (b)(17) to substitute “persons with intellectual disability” for “the mentally retarded”; P.A. 11-183 amended Subsec. (a) by requiring certificate of need for termination of inpatient or outpatient services offered by a hospital in Subdiv. (4), adding new Subdiv. (6) requiring certificate of need for termination of surgical services by certain facilities providing such services and redesignating existing Subdivs. (6) to (12) as Subdivs. (7) to (13), amended Subsec. (b) by substituting “persons with intellectual disability” for “the mentally retarded” in Subdiv. (17), deleting former Subdiv. (20) which excluded termination of inpatient or outpatient services offered by a hospital from certificate of need requirements, redesignating existing Subdivs. (21) to (23) as Subdivs. (20) to (22) and adding exception re Subsec. (a)(6) in Subdiv. (20), and made technical changes, effective July 13, 2011; P.A. 11-242 amended Subsec. (a) by adding provision, codified by the Revisors as Subdiv. (14), requiring certificate of need for termination of inpatient or outpatient services offered by certain hospitals, facilities or institutions operated by the state, effective July 13, 2011; P.A. 13-139 amended Subsec. (b)(17) by substituting “individuals with intellectual disabilities” for “the mentally retarded”; P.A. 14-168 amended Subsec. (a) by adding new Subdiv. (3) re transfer of ownership of a group practice and redesignating existing Subdivs. (3) to (14) as Subdivs. (4) to (15) and amended Subsec. (b)(2) by making a conforming change, effective July 1, 2014; P.A. 15-59 amended Subsec. (b)(12) by adding references to expanded school health sites and definitions in Sec. 19a-6r; P.A. 15-146 amended Subsec. (a)(3) by replacing “group practice” with “large group practice”, designating existing provision re physician as Subpara. (A), designating existing provision re group as Subpara. (B) and amending same to replace provision re group of physicians and exception with provision re group of two or more physicians legally organized to render professional services and not employed by or an affiliate of certain entities, and amended Subsec. (a)(10) by designating existing provisions re Subsec. (b)(22) as Subpara. (A) and adding Subpara. (B) re replacement scanner, effective July 1, 2015; P.A. 18-91 replaced references to office with references to unit, and amended Subsec. (d) to replace references to Commissioner of Public Health with references to executive director of Office of Health Strategy, replace “prints notice of intent to adopt regulations in the Connecticut Law Journal” with “posts notice of intent to adopt regulations on the office's Internet web site and the eRegulations System”, and delete provision re adoption of final regulations by December 31, 2011, effective May 14, 2018; P.A. 19-118 amended Subsec. (b)(4) by adding “as defined in subsection (c) of section 19a-490, and”, and replacing reference to Sec. 19a-490(c) with reference to Sec. 19a-490(o), effective July 9, 2019; P.A. 22-47 amended Subsec. (a)(12) by adding reference to an exception to the certificate of need requirement for an increase in licensed bed capacity and Subsec. (b) by adding Subdiv. (23) re an exception to the certificate of need requirement for an increase in licensed bed capacity of certain mental health facilities and added Subsec. (e) re notification of the Office of Health Strategy by a mental health facility seeking to increase licensed bed capacity and Subsec. (f) re reporting by executive director of Office of Health Strategy, effective May 23, 2022.

Annotation to former section 19-73l:

Cited. 33 CS 86.

Annotations to former section 19a-154:

Cited. 200 C. 133; Id., 489; 208 C. 663; 214 C. 321; 226 C. 105; 235 C. 128; 238 C. 216.

Sec. 19a-639. (Formerly Sec. 19a-155). Certificate of need guidelines and principles. Application involving transfer of ownership of a hospital; denial; conditions on approval; hiring of post-transfer compliance reporter. (a) In any deliberations involving a certificate of need application filed pursuant to section 19a-638, the unit shall take into consideration and make written findings concerning each of the following guidelines and principles:

(1) Whether the proposed project is consistent with any applicable policies and standards adopted in regulations by the Office of Health Strategy;

(2) The relationship of the proposed project to the state-wide health care facilities and services plan;

(3) Whether there is a clear public need for the health care facility or services proposed by the applicant;

(4) Whether the applicant has satisfactorily demonstrated how the proposal will impact the financial strength of the health care system in the state or that the proposal is financially feasible for the applicant;

(5) Whether the applicant has satisfactorily demonstrated how the proposal will improve quality, accessibility and cost effectiveness of health care delivery in the region, including, but not limited to, provision of or any change in the access to services for Medicaid recipients and indigent persons;

(6) The applicant's past and proposed provision of health care services to relevant patient populations and payer mix, including, but not limited to, access to services by Medicaid recipients and indigent persons;

(7) Whether the applicant has satisfactorily identified the population to be served by the proposed project and satisfactorily demonstrated that the identified population has a need for the proposed services;

(8) The utilization of existing health care facilities and health care services in the service area of the applicant;

(9) Whether the applicant has satisfactorily demonstrated that the proposed project shall not result in an unnecessary duplication of existing or approved health care services or facilities;

(10) Whether an applicant, who has failed to provide or reduced access to services by Medicaid recipients or indigent persons, has demonstrated good cause for doing so, which shall not be demonstrated solely on the basis of differences in reimbursement rates between Medicaid and other health care payers;

(11) Whether the applicant has satisfactorily demonstrated that the proposal will not negatively impact the diversity of health care providers and patient choice in the geographic region; and

(12) Whether the applicant has satisfactorily demonstrated that any consolidation resulting from the proposal will not adversely affect health care costs or accessibility to care.

(b) In deliberations as described in subsection (a) of this section, there shall be a presumption in favor of approving the certificate of need application for a transfer of ownership of a large group practice, as described in subdivision (3) of subsection (a) of section 19a-638, when an offer was made in response to a request for proposal or similar voluntary offer for sale.

(c) The unit, as it deems necessary, may revise or supplement the guidelines and principles, set forth in subsection (a) of this section, through regulation.

(d) (1) For purposes of this subsection and subsection (e) of this section:

(A) “Affected community” means a municipality where a hospital is physically located or a municipality whose inhabitants are regularly served by a hospital;

(B) “Hospital” has the same meaning as provided in section 19a-490;

(C) “New hospital” means a hospital as it exists after the approval of an agreement pursuant to section 19a-486b or a certificate of need application for a transfer of ownership of a hospital;

(D) “Purchaser” means a person who is acquiring, or has acquired, any assets of a hospital through a transfer of ownership of a hospital;

(E) “Transacting party” means a purchaser and any person who is a party to a proposed agreement for transfer of ownership of a hospital;

(F) “Transfer” means to sell, transfer, lease, exchange, option, convey, give or otherwise dispose of or transfer control over, including, but not limited to, transfer by way of merger or joint venture not in the ordinary course of business; and

(G) “Transfer of ownership of a hospital” means a transfer that impacts or changes the governance or controlling body of a hospital, including, but not limited to, all affiliations, mergers or any sale or transfer of net assets of a hospital and for which a certificate of need application or a certificate of need determination letter is filed on or after December 1, 2015.

(2) In any deliberations involving a certificate of need application filed pursuant to section 19a-638 that involves the transfer of ownership of a hospital, the unit shall, in addition to the guidelines and principles set forth in subsection (a) of this section and those prescribed through regulation pursuant to subsection (c) of this section, take into consideration and make written findings concerning each of the following guidelines and principles:

(A) Whether the applicant fairly considered alternative proposals or offers in light of the purpose of maintaining health care provider diversity and consumer choice in the health care market and access to affordable quality health care for the affected community; and

(B) Whether the plan submitted pursuant to section 19a-639a demonstrates, in a manner consistent with this chapter, how health care services will be provided by the new hospital for the first three years following the transfer of ownership of the hospital, including any consolidation, reduction, elimination or expansion of existing services or introduction of new services.

(3) The unit shall deny any certificate of need application involving a transfer of ownership of a hospital unless the executive director finds that the affected community will be assured of continued access to high quality and affordable health care after accounting for any proposed change impacting hospital staffing.

(4) The unit may deny any certificate of need application involving a transfer of ownership of a hospital subject to a cost and market impact review pursuant to section 19a-639f if the executive director finds that (A) the affected community will not be assured of continued access to high quality and affordable health care after accounting for any consolidation in the hospital and health care market that may lessen health care provider diversity, consumer choice and access to care, and (B) any likely increases in the prices for health care services or total health care spending in the state may negatively impact the affordability of care.

(5) The unit may place any conditions on the approval of a certificate of need application involving a transfer of ownership of a hospital consistent with the provisions of this chapter. Before placing any such conditions, the unit shall weigh the value of such conditions in promoting the purposes of this chapter against the individual and cumulative burden of such conditions on the transacting parties and the new hospital. For each condition imposed, the unit shall include a concise statement of the legal and factual basis for such condition and the provision or provisions of this chapter that it is intended to promote. Each condition shall be reasonably tailored in time and scope. The transacting parties or the new hospital shall have the right to make a request to the unit for an amendment to, or relief from, any condition based on changed circumstances, hardship or for other good cause.

(e) (1) If the certificate of need application (A) involves the transfer of ownership of a hospital, (B) the purchaser is a hospital, as defined in section 19a-490, whether located within or outside the state, that had net patient revenue for fiscal year 2013 in an amount greater than one billion five hundred million dollars or a hospital system, as defined in section 19a-486i, whether located within or outside the state, that had net patient revenue for fiscal year 2013 in an amount greater than one billion five hundred million dollars, or any person that is organized or operated for profit, and (C) such application is approved, the unit shall hire an independent consultant to serve as a post-transfer compliance reporter for a period of three years after completion of the transfer of ownership of the hospital. Such reporter shall, at a minimum: (i) Meet with representatives of the purchaser, the new hospital and members of the affected community served by the new hospital not less than quarterly; and (ii) report to the unit not less than quarterly concerning (I) efforts the purchaser and representatives of the new hospital have taken to comply with any conditions the unit placed on the approval of the certificate of need application and plans for future compliance, and (II) community benefits and uncompensated care provided by the new hospital. The purchaser shall give the reporter access to its records and facilities for the purposes of carrying out the reporter's duties. The purchaser shall hold a public hearing in the municipality in which the new hospital is located not less than annually during the reporting period to provide for public review and comment on the reporter's reports and findings.

(2) If the reporter finds that the purchaser has breached a condition of the approval of the certificate of need application, the unit may, in consultation with the purchaser, the reporter and any other interested parties it deems appropriate, implement a performance improvement plan designed to remedy the conditions identified by the reporter and continue the reporting period for up to one year following a determination by the unit that such conditions have been resolved.

(3) The purchaser shall provide funds, in an amount determined by the unit not to exceed two hundred thousand dollars annually, for the hiring of the post-transfer compliance reporter.

(f) Nothing in subsection (d) or (e) of this section shall apply to a transfer of ownership of a hospital in which either a certificate of need application is filed on or before December 1, 2015, or where a certificate of need determination letter is filed on or before December 1, 2015.

(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; P.A. 08-14, S. 4; P.A. 09-232, S. 93; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3, S. 10; P.A. 10-179, S. 88; P.A. 12-170, S. 1; P.A. 13-234, S. 144; P.A. 14-168, S. 7; P.A. 15-146, S. 28; P.A. 18-91, S. 26.)

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; P.A. 08-14 amended Subsec. (b)(2) by substituting 7 days for 5 business days, substituting 14 days for 10 business days and making technical changes and amended Subsec. (b)(3)(D) by making a technical change, effective July 1, 2008; P.A. 09-232 amended Subsecs. (a)(3), (b)(3)(C) and (c)(2) by eliminating “cineangiography equipment”, effective July 1, 2009; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3 amended Subsec. (b) by adding “or the commissioner's designee” in Subdivs. (1) and (2) and by replacing “office” with “Department of Public Health” re regulations in Subdiv. (2), effective October 6, 2009; P.A. 10-179 replaced former Subsecs. (a) to (f) with new Subsecs. (a) and (b) re guidelines and principles considered by office when deliberating on certificate of need application; P.A. 12-170 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing reference to office with reference to Department of Public Health in Subdiv. (1) and adding provision re demonstration that proposal is financially feasible in Subdiv. (4); P.A. 13-234 amended Subsec. (a) by adding Subpara. (A) re change in access to services and Subpara. (B) re impact upon cost effectiveness of providing access to services in Subdiv. (5), adding provision re access to services in Subdiv. (6), and adding Subdiv. (10) re applicant who has failed to provide or reduced access to services; P.A. 14-168 amended Subsec. (a) by adding Subdiv. (11) re impact on diversity of health care providers and adding Subdiv. (12) re health care costs and accessibility to care, added new Subsec. (b) re presumption in deliberations, and redesignated existing Subsec. (b) as Subsec. (c), effective July 1, 2014; P.A. 15-146 amended Subsec. (a)(5) by deleting former Subpara. (B) re cost effectiveness impact, amended Subsec. (b) by replacing “group practice” with “large group practice”, added Subsec. (d) re definitions and certificate of need application involving transfer of ownership of a hospital, added Subsec. (e) re post-transfer compliance reporter and added Subsec. (f) re applicability of provisions where application or certificate of need determination letter filed on or before December 1, 2015, effective July 1, 2015; P.A. 18-91 replaced “office” with “unit”, replaced “Department of Public Health” with “Office of Health Strategy” in Subsec. (a)(1), made a technical change in Subsec. (c), and replaced “commissioner” with “executive director” in Subsecs. (d)(3) and (d)(4), effective May 14, 2018.

Annotations to former section 19-73m:

Cited. 182 C. 314.

Cited. 34 CS 225.

Annotations to former section 19a-155:

Section is compatible and can coexist with Sec. 19a-156. 200 C. 133. Cited. 210 C. 697; 214 C. 321; 226 C. 105; 235 C. 128; 238 C. 216.

Cited. 2 CA 68.

Sec. 19a-639a. Certificate of need application process. Issuance of decision. Public hearings. Policies, procedures and regulations. (a) An application for a certificate of need shall be filed with the unit in accordance with the provisions of this section and any regulations adopted by the Office of Health Strategy. The application shall address the guidelines and principles set forth in (1) subsection (a) of section 19a-639, and (2) regulations adopted by the department. The applicant shall include with the application a nonrefundable application fee based on the cost of the project. The amount of the fee shall be as follows: (A) One thousand dollars for a project that will cost not greater than fifty thousand dollars; (B) two thousand dollars for a project that will cost greater than fifty thousand dollars but not greater than one hundred thousand dollars; (C) three thousand dollars for a project that will cost greater than one hundred thousand dollars but not greater than five hundred thousand dollars; (D) four thousand dollars for a project that will cost greater than five hundred thousand dollars but not greater than one million dollars; (E) five thousand dollars for a project that will cost greater than one million dollars but not greater than five million dollars; (F) eight thousand dollars for a project that will cost greater than five million dollars but not greater than ten million dollars; and (G) ten thousand dollars for a project that will cost greater than ten million dollars.

(b) Prior to the filing of a certificate of need application, the applicant shall publish notice that an application is to be submitted to the unit in a newspaper having a substantial circulation in the area where the project is to be located. Such notice shall (1) be published (A) not later than twenty days prior to the date of filing of the certificate of need application, and (B) for not less than three consecutive days, and (2) contain a brief description of the nature of the project and the street address where the project is to be located. An applicant shall file the certificate of need application with the unit not later than ninety days after publishing notice of the application in accordance with the provisions of this subsection. The unit shall not accept the applicant's certificate of need application for filing unless the application is accompanied by the application fee prescribed in subsection (a) of this section and proof of compliance with the publication requirements prescribed in this subsection.

(c) (1) Not later than five business days after receipt of a properly filed certificate of need application, the unit shall publish notice of the application on its Internet web site. Not later than thirty days after the date of filing of the application, the unit may request such additional information as the unit determines necessary to complete the application. In addition to any information requested by the unit, if the application involves the transfer of ownership of a hospital, as defined in section 19a-639, the applicant shall submit to the unit (A) a plan demonstrating how health care services will be provided by the new hospital for the first three years following the transfer of ownership of the hospital, including any consolidation, reduction, elimination or expansion of existing services or introduction of new services, and (B) the names of persons currently holding a position with the hospital to be purchased or the purchaser, as defined in section 19a-639, as an officer, director, board member or senior manager, whether or not such person is expected to hold a position with the hospital after completion of the transfer of ownership of the hospital and any salary, severance, stock offering or any financial gain, current or deferred, such person is expected to receive as a result of, or in relation to, the transfer of ownership of the hospital.

(2) The applicant shall, not later than sixty days after the date of the unit's request, submit any requested information and any information required under this subsection to the unit. If an applicant fails to submit such information to the unit within the sixty-day period, the unit shall consider the application to have been withdrawn.

(d) Upon determining that an application is complete, the unit shall provide notice of this determination to the applicant and to the public in accordance with regulations adopted by the department. In addition, the unit shall post such notice on its Internet web site. The date on which the unit posts such notice on its Internet web site shall begin the review period. Except as provided in this subsection, (1) the review period for a completed application shall be ninety days from the date on which the unit posts such notice on its Internet web site; and (2) the unit shall issue a decision on a completed application prior to the expiration of the ninety-day review period. The review period for a completed application that involves a transfer of a large group practice, as described in subdivision (3) of subsection (a) of section 19a-638, when the offer was made in response to a request for proposal or similar voluntary offer for sale, shall be sixty days from the date on which the unit posts notice on its Internet web site. Upon request or for good cause shown, the unit may extend the review period for a period of time not to exceed sixty days. If the review period is extended, the unit shall issue a decision on the completed application prior to the expiration of the extended review period. If the unit holds a public hearing concerning a completed application in accordance with subsection (e) or (f) of this section, the unit shall issue a decision on the completed application not later than sixty days after the date the unit closes the public hearing record.

(e) Except as provided in this subsection, the unit shall hold a public hearing on a properly filed and completed certificate of need application if three or more individuals or an individual representing an entity with five or more people submits a request, in writing, that a public hearing be held on the application. For a properly filed and completed certificate of need application involving a transfer of ownership of a large group practice, as described in subdivision (3) of subsection (a) of section 19a-638, when an offer was made in response to a request for proposal or similar voluntary offer for sale, a public hearing shall be held if twenty-five or more individuals or an individual representing twenty-five or more people submits a request, in writing, that a public hearing be held on the application. Any request for a public hearing shall be made to the unit not later than thirty days after the date the unit determines the application to be complete.

(f) (1) The unit shall hold a public hearing with respect to each certificate of need application filed pursuant to section 19a-638 after December 1, 2015, that concerns any transfer of ownership involving a hospital. Such hearing shall be held in the municipality in which the hospital that is the subject of the application is located.

(2) The unit may hold a public hearing with respect to any certificate of need application submitted under this chapter. The unit shall provide not less than two weeks' advance notice to the applicant, in writing, and to the public by publication in a newspaper having a substantial circulation in the area served by the health care facility or provider. In conducting its activities under this chapter, the unit may hold hearings with respect to applications of a similar nature at the same time.

(g) The executive director of the Office of Health Strategy may implement policies and procedures necessary to administer the provisions of this section while in the process of adopting such policies and procedures as regulation, provided the executive director holds a public hearing prior to implementing the policies and procedures and posts notice of intent to adopt regulations on the office's Internet web site and the eRegulations System not later than twenty days after the date of implementation. Policies and procedures implemented pursuant to this section shall be valid until the time final regulations are adopted.

(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; P.A. 08-14, S. 2; P.A. 09-232, S. 94; P.A. 10-179, S. 89; P.A. 11-242, S. 25; P.A. 12-170, S. 2; P.A. 14-168, S. 8; P.A. 15-146, S. 30; 15-242, S. 42; P.A. 18-91, S. 27; P.A. 19-56, S. 9; P.A. 22-118, S. 225.)

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; P.A. 08-14 amended Subsec. (b) by substituting 14 days for 10 business days and making a technical change and added Subsec. (e) re additional capital expenditures that are exempt from certificate of need review, effective April 29, 2008; P.A. 09-232 added Subsec. (a)(12) re program licensed or funded by Department of Children and Families, amended Subsec. (c) by eliminating “cineangiography equipment” and added Subsec. (f) re exemption for outpatient services provided at alternative location within primary service area, effective July 1, 2009; P.A. 10-179 replaced former Subsecs. (a) to (f) with new Subsecs. (a) to (g) re certificate of need application process, time frames for review and issuance of decision by office, public hearing process and authority of Commissioner of Public Health to implement policies and procedures while in process of adopting regulations; P.A. 11-242 amended Subsec. (b) by restructuring existing provisions and adding Subdiv. and Subpara. designators, by requiring applicant to file certificate of need application with office not later than 90 days after publishing notice of application and by making technical changes, and amended Subsec. (c) by eliminating requirement that certificate of need application be filed with Office of the Secretary of the State; P.A. 12-170 amended Subsecs. (a) and (d) by replacing references to office with references to Department of Public Health re regulations and amended Subsec. (d) by replacing provision requiring office to issue a decision not later than 60 days after date of public hearing with provision requiring office to issue a decision not later than 60 days after date the office closes the public hearing record; P.A. 14-168 amended Subsec. (d) by adding provision re review period for transfer of a group practice and amended Subsec. (e) by adding provisions re application involving transfer of ownership of a group practice, effective July 1, 2014; P.A. 15-146 amended Subsec. (c) by designating existing provisions re notice of application and request for information as Subdiv. (1) and amending same by adding provisions re application involving transfer of ownership of a hospital, designating existing provisions re submission of requested information as Subdiv. (2) and amending same by adding reference to information required and making technical changes, amended Subsecs. (d) and (e) by replacing “group practice” with “large group practice”, amended Subsec. (f) by adding Subdiv. (1) re public hearing for application involving transfer of ownership of a hospital and designating existing provisions re public hearing as Subdiv. (2), amended Subsec. (g) by replacing reference to Connecticut Law Journal with reference to department's Internet web site and the eRegulations System and deleting provision re date for adoption of final regulations, effective July 1, 2015; P.A. 15-242 amended Subsecs. (c) and (d) by adding “Internet” re web site and making a technical change; P.A. 18-91 replaced references to office with references to unit, amended Subsec. (a) to replace “Department of Public Health” with “Office of Health Strategy”, and amended Subsec. (g) to replace references to Commissioner of Public Health with references to executive director of the Office of Health Strategy, replace “prints notice” with “posts notice”, and replace “department's” with “office's”, effective May 14, 2018; P.A. 19-56 replaced “hearing on” with “hearings with respect to” in Subsec. (f)(2), effective June 28, 2019; P.A. 22-118 amended Subsec. (a) by removing the $500 application fee and adding an application fee scale based on the cost of the project, effective May 7, 2022.

Subsec. (f)(2): Use of the term “may” in Subdiv. confers discretion on Office of Health Care Access as to whether to hold a public hearing for a certificate of need application, thus, any such hearing is not a contested case for purposes of triggering judicial review; Subsec. (e): a request to intervene, without additional language also indicating a request for a hearing, cannot be deemed to meet the requirements of Subsec. 207 CA 397.

Sec. 19a-639b. Certificate of need. Validity, extension, revocation and nontransferability. Policies, procedures and regulations. (a) A certificate of need shall be valid only for the project described in the application. A certificate of need shall be valid for two years from the date of issuance by the unit. During the period of time that such certificate is valid and the thirty-day period following the expiration of the certificate, the holder of the certificate shall provide the unit with such information as the unit may request on the development of the project covered by the certificate.

(b) Upon request from a certificate holder, the unit may extend the duration of a certificate of need for such additional period of time as the unit determines is reasonably necessary to expeditiously complete the project. Not later than five business days after receiving a request to extend the duration of a certificate of need, the unit shall post such request on its web site. Any person who wishes to comment on extending the duration of the certificate of need shall provide written comments to the unit on the requested extension not later than thirty days after the date the unit posts notice of the request for an extension of time on its web site. The unit shall hold a public hearing on any request to extend the duration of a certificate of need if three or more individuals or an individual representing an entity with five or more people submits a request, in writing, that a public hearing be held on the request to extend the duration of a certificate of need.

(c) In the event that the unit determines that: (1) Commencement, construction or other preparation has not been substantially undertaken during a valid certificate of need period; or (2) the certificate holder has not made a good-faith effort to complete the project as approved, the unit may withdraw, revoke or rescind the certificate of need.

(d) A certificate of need shall not be transferable or assignable nor shall a project be transferred from a certificate holder to another person.

(e) The executive director of the Office of Health Strategy may implement policies and procedures necessary to administer the provisions of this section while in the process of adopting such policies and procedures as regulation, provided the executive director holds a public hearing prior to implementing the policies and procedures and posts notice of intent to adopt regulations on the office's Internet web site and the eRegulations System not later than twenty days after the date of implementation. Policies and procedures implemented pursuant to this section shall be valid until the time final regulations are adopted.

(P.A. 98-150, S. 5, 17; P.A. 06-28, S. 4; 06-64, S. 8; P.A. 07-149, S. 5; P.A. 09-232, S. 95; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3, S. 11; P.A. 10-18, S. 13; 10-179, S. 90; P.A. 18-91, S. 28.)

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); P.A. 09-232 amended Subsec. (a)(3)(D) by making a conforming change re definition applicable to facility or institution that seeks to “transfer its ownership or control” and added Subsec. (e) re psychiatric residential treatment facility not eligible for exemption from certificate of need requirements; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3 amended Subsecs. (a), (b) and (d) by substituting Commissioner of Public Health for Commissioner of Health Care Access, effective October 6, 2009; P.A. 10-18 made a technical change in Subsec. (a)(3)(D); P.A. 10-179 replaced former Subsecs. (a) to (e) with new Subsecs. (a) to (e) re validity of certificate of need, extensions to duration, revocation and nontransferability of certificate and authority of Commissioner of Public Health to implement policies and procedures while in process of adopting regulations; P.A. 18-91 amended Subsecs. (a) to (c) by replacing “office” with “unit”, and amended Subsec. (e) by replacing references to Commissioner of Public Health with references to executive director of the Office of Health Strategy, replacing “prints notice of intent to adopt regulations in the Connecticut Law Journal” with “posts notice of intent to adopt regulations on the office's Internet web site and the eRegulations System”, and deleting provision re adoption of final regulations by December 31, 2011, effective May 14, 2018.

Sec. 19a-639c. Proposed relocation of a health care facility. Policies, procedures and regulations. (a) Any health care facility that proposes to relocate a facility shall submit a letter to the unit, as described in subsection (c) of section 19a-638. In addition to the requirements prescribed in said subsection (c), in such letter the health care facility shall demonstrate to the satisfaction of the unit that the population served by the health care facility and the payer mix will not substantially change as a result of the facility's proposed relocation. If the facility is unable to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the unit that the population served and the payer mix will not substantially change as a result of the proposed relocation, the health care facility shall apply for certificate of need approval pursuant to subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of section 19a-638 in order to effectuate the proposed relocation.

(b) The executive director of the Office of Health Strategy may implement policies and procedures necessary to administer the provisions of this section while in the process of adopting such policies and procedures as regulation, provided the executive director holds a public hearing prior to implementing the policies and procedures and posts notice of intent to adopt regulations on the office's Internet web site and the eRegulations System not later than twenty days after the date of implementation. Policies and procedures implemented pursuant to this section shall be valid until the time final regulations are adopted.

(P.A. 98-150, S. 7, 17; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 98-1, S. 94, 121; P.A. 05-93, S. 6; P.A. 06-28, S. 5; 06-64, S. 9; 06-196, S. 245; P.A. 09-232, S. 96; P.A. 10-179, S. 91; P.A. 18-91, S. 29.)

History: P.A. 98-150 effective June 5, 1998; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 98-1 made a technical change by adding the first reference to “provider” to “health care facility, institution”; P.A. 05-93 extended waiver provisions to certain scanning equipment, rather than to “imaging equipment”, and made technical and conforming changes, effective July 1, 2005; P.A. 06-28 amended Subdiv. (3) by increasing maximum permissible replacement value of major medical equipment and certain scanners and linear accelerators eligible for waiver from certificate of need review from $2,000,000 to $3,000,000, effective July 1, 2006; P.A. 06-64 deleted former Subdiv. (2) which limited waivers for replacement equipment to equipment or accelerators not exceeding a specific value and redesignated existing Subdiv. (3) as Subdiv. (2), effective July 1, 2006; P.A. 06-196 made technical changes, effective June 7, 2006; P.A. 09-232 eliminated “cineangiography equipment”, added new Subdiv. (2) re waiver of certificate of need requirements when replacing equipment that did not require certificate of need for original acquisition and redesignated existing Subdiv. (2) as Subdiv. (3), effective July 1, 2009; P.A. 10-179 replaced former provisions with Subsecs. (a) and (b) re process for relocation of a health care facility and authority of Commissioner of Public Health to implement policies and procedures while in process of adopting regulations; P.A. 18-91 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing “office” with “unit”, and amended Subsec. (b) by replacing references to Commissioner of Public Health with references to executive director of the Office of Health Strategy, replacing “prints notice of intent to adopt regulations in the Connecticut Law Journal” with “posts notice of intent to adopt regulations on the office's Internet web site and the eRegulations System”, and deleting provision re adoption of final regulations by December 31, 2011, effective May 14, 2018.

Sec. 19a-639d. Certificate of need. Waiver for year 2000 computer capability. Section 19a-639d is repealed, effective October 1, 2002.

(P.A. 98-150, S. 6, 17; P.A. 02-89, S. 90.)

Sec. 19a-639e. Proposed termination of service by a health care facility. Policies, procedures and regulations. (a) Unless otherwise required to file a certificate of need application pursuant to the provisions of subsection (a) of section 19a-638, any health care facility that proposes to terminate a service that was authorized pursuant to a certificate of need issued under this chapter shall file a modification request with the unit not later than sixty days prior to the proposed date of the termination of the service. The unit may request additional information from the health care facility as necessary to process the modification request. In addition, the unit shall hold a public hearing on any request from a health care facility to terminate a service pursuant to this section if three or more individuals or an individual representing an entity with five or more people submits a request, in writing, that a public hearing be held on the health care facility's proposal to terminate a service.

(b) Unless otherwise required to file a certificate of need application pursuant to the provisions of subsection (a) of section 19a-638, any health care facility that proposes to terminate all services offered by such facility, that were authorized pursuant to one or more certificates of need issued under this chapter, shall provide notification to the unit not later than sixty days prior to the termination of services and such facility shall surrender its certificate of need not later than thirty days prior to the termination of services.

(c) Unless otherwise required to file a certificate of need application pursuant to the provisions of subsection (a) of section 19a-638, any health care facility that proposes to terminate the operation of a facility or service for which a certificate of need was not obtained shall notify the unit not later than sixty days prior to terminating the operation of the facility or service.

(d) The executive director of the Office of Health Strategy may implement policies and procedures necessary to administer the provisions of this section while in the process of adopting such policies and procedures as regulation, provided the executive director holds a public hearing prior to implementing the policies and procedures and posts notice of intent to adopt regulations on the office's Internet web site and the eRegulations System not later than twenty days after the date of implementation. Policies and procedures implemented pursuant to this section shall be valid until the time final regulations are adopted.

(P.A. 02-6, S. 1; P.A. 03-278, S. 75; P.A. 05-151, S. 6; P.A. 08-14, S. 5; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3, S. 12; P.A. 10-179, S. 92; P.A. 11-183, S. 2; P.A. 15-242, S. 27; P.A. 18-91, S. 30.)

History: P.A. 02-6 effective April 17, 2002; P.A. 03-278 made a technical change, effective July 9, 2003; P.A. 05-151 extended applicability of data submission requirements to non-profit hospitals seeking to convert to for-profit status, extended the deadline for submitting data from 10 business days after receiving a notice of defect from office to 15 business days from the date the notice was mailed by office and clarified that provisions apply to health care facilities or institutions; P.A. 08-14 substituted 21 days for 15 business days and added “or information” re submission determination by office, effective July 1, 2008; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3 substituted “office” for “Office of Health Care Access” and Commissioner of Public Health for Commissioner of Health Care Access, effective October 6, 2009; P.A. 10-179 replaced former provisions with Subsecs. (a) to (d) re termination of service by a health care facility and authority of Commissioner of Public Health to implement policies and procedures while adopting regulations; P.A. 11-183 amended Subsec. (a) by adding provision re modification requests permitted unless otherwise required to file certificate of need application pursuant to Sec. 19a-638(a), effective July 13, 2011; P.A. 15-242 amended Subsecs. (b) and (c) by adding exception re requirement to file certificate of need application pursuant to Sec. 19a-638(a) and amended Subsec. (d) by changing “2011” to “2015”; P.A. 18-91 amended Subsecs. (a) to (c) by replacing “office” with “unit”, amended Subsec. (d) by replacing references to Commissioner of Public Health with references to executive director of the Office of Health Strategy, replacing “prints notice of intent to adopt regulations in the Connecticut Law Journal” with “posts notice of intent to adopt regulations on the office's Internet web site and the eRegulations System”, and deleting provision re adoption of final regulations by December 31, 2015, effective May 14, 2018.

Sec. 19a-639f. Certificate of need involving hospital ownership. Cost and market impact review. (a) The Health Systems Planning Unit of the Office of Health Strategy shall conduct a cost and market impact review in each case where (1) an application for a certificate of need filed pursuant to section 19a-638 involves the transfer of ownership of a hospital, as defined in section 19a-639, and (2) the purchaser is a hospital, as defined in section 19a-490, whether located within or outside the state, that had net patient revenue for fiscal year 2013 in an amount greater than one billion five hundred million dollars, or a hospital system, as defined in section 19a-486i, whether located within or outside the state, that had net patient revenue for fiscal year 2013 in an amount greater than one billion five hundred million dollars or any person that is organized or operated for profit.

(b) Not later than twenty-one days after receipt of a properly filed certificate of need application involving the transfer of ownership of a hospital filed on or after December 1, 2015, as described in subsection (a) of this section, the unit shall initiate such cost and market impact review by sending the transacting parties a written notice that shall contain a description of the basis for the cost and market impact review as well as a request for information and documents. Not later than thirty days after receipt of such notice, the transacting parties shall submit to the unit a written response. Such response shall include, but need not be limited to, any information or documents requested by the unit concerning the transfer of ownership of the hospital. The unit shall have the powers with respect to the cost and market impact review as provided in section 19a-633.

(c) The unit shall keep confidential all nonpublic information and documents obtained pursuant to this section and shall not disclose the information or documents to any person without the consent of the person that produced the information or documents, except in a preliminary report or final report issued in accordance with this section if the unit believes that such disclosure should be made in the public interest after taking into account any privacy, trade secret or anti-competitive considerations. Such information and documents shall not be deemed a public record, under section 1-210, and shall be exempt from disclosure.

(d) The cost and market impact review conducted pursuant to this section shall examine factors relating to the businesses and relative market positions of the transacting parties as defined in subsection (d) of section 19a-639 and may include, but need not be limited to: (1) The transacting parties' size and market share within its primary service area, by major service category and within its dispersed service areas; (2) the transacting parties' prices for services, including the transacting parties' relative prices compared to other health care providers for the same services in the same market; (3) the transacting parties' health status adjusted total medical expense, including the transacting parties' health status adjusted total medical expense compared to that of similar health care providers; (4) the quality of the services provided by the transacting parties, including patient experience; (5) the transacting parties' cost and cost trends in comparison to total health care expenditures state wide; (6) the availability and accessibility of services similar to those provided by each transacting party, or proposed to be provided as a result of the transfer of ownership of a hospital within each transacting party's primary service areas and dispersed service areas; (7) the impact of the proposed transfer of ownership of the hospital on competing options for the delivery of health care services within each transacting party's primary service area and dispersed service area including the impact on existing service providers; (8) the methods used by the transacting parties to attract patient volume and to recruit or acquire health care professionals or facilities; (9) the role of each transacting party in serving at-risk, underserved and government payer patient populations, including those with behavioral, substance use disorder and mental health conditions, within each transacting party's primary service area and dispersed service area; (10) the role of each transacting party in providing low margin or negative margin services within each transacting party's primary service area and dispersed service area; (11) consumer concerns, including, but not limited to, complaints or other allegations that a transacting party has engaged in any unfair method of competition or any unfair or deceptive act or practice; and (12) any other factors that the unit determines to be in the public interest.

(e) Not later than ninety days after the unit determines that there is substantial compliance with any request for documents or information issued by the unit in accordance with this section, or a later date set by mutual agreement of the unit and the transacting parties, the unit shall make factual findings and issue a preliminary report on the cost and market impact review. Such preliminary report shall include, but shall not be limited to, an indication as to whether a transacting party meets the following criteria: (1) Currently has or, following the proposed transfer of operations of the hospital, is likely to have a dominant market share for the services the transacting party provides; and (2) (A) currently charges or, following the proposed transfer of operations of the hospital, is likely to charge prices for services that are materially higher than the median prices charged by all other health care providers for the same services in the same market, or (B) currently has or, following the proposed transfer of operations of a hospital, is likely to have a health status adjusted total medical expense that is materially higher than the median total medical expense for all other health care providers for the same service in the same market.

(f) The transacting parties that are the subject of the cost and market impact review may respond in writing to the findings in the preliminary report issued in accordance with subsection (e) of this section not later than thirty days after the issuance of the preliminary report. Not later than sixty days after the issuance of the preliminary report, the unit shall issue a final report of the cost and market impact review. The unit shall refer to the Attorney General any final report on any proposed transfer of ownership that meets the criteria described in subsection (e) of this section.

(g) Nothing in this section shall prohibit a transfer of ownership of a hospital, provided any such proposed transfer shall not be completed (1) less than thirty days after the unit has issued a final report on a cost and market impact review, if such review is required, or (2) while any action brought by the Attorney General pursuant to subsection (h) of this section is pending and before a final judgment on such action is issued by a court of competent jurisdiction.

(h) After the unit refers a final report on a transfer of ownership of a hospital to the Attorney General under subsection (f) of this section, the Attorney General may: (1) Conduct an investigation to determine whether the transacting parties engaged, or, as a result of completing the transfer of ownership of the hospital, are expected to engage in unfair methods of competition, anti-competitive behavior or other conduct in violation of chapter 624 or 735a or any other state or federal law; and (2) if appropriate, take action under chapter 624 or 735a or any other state law to protect consumers in the health care market. The unit's final report may be evidence in any such action.

(i) For the purposes of this section, the provisions of chapter 735a may be directly enforced by the Attorney General. Nothing in this section shall be construed to modify, impair or supersede the operation of any state antitrust law or otherwise limit the authority of the Attorney General to (1) take any action against a transacting party as authorized by any law, or (2) protect consumers in the health care market under any law. Notwithstanding subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of section 42-110c, the transacting parties shall be subject to chapter 735a.

(j) The unit shall retain an independent consultant with expertise on the economic analysis of the health care market and health care costs and prices to conduct each cost and market impact review, as described in this section. The unit shall submit bills for such services to the purchaser, as defined in subsection (d) of section 19a-639. Such purchaser shall pay such bills not later than thirty days after receipt. Such bills shall not exceed two hundred thousand dollars per application. The provisions of chapter 57, sections 4-212 to 4-219, inclusive, and section 4e-19 shall not apply to any agreement executed pursuant to this subsection.

(k) Any employee of the unit who directly oversees or assists in conducting a cost and market impact review shall not take part in factual deliberations or the issuance of a preliminary or final decision on the certificate of need application concerning the transfer of ownership of a hospital that is the subject of such cost and market impact review.

(l) The executive director of the Office of Health Strategy shall adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, concerning cost and market impact reviews and to administer the provisions of this section. Such regulations shall include definitions of the following terms: “Dispersed service area”, “health status adjusted total medical expense”, “major service category”, “relative prices”, “total health care spending” and “health care services”. The executive director may implement policies and procedures necessary to administer the provisions of this section while in the process of adopting such policies and procedures in regulation form, provided the executive director publishes notice of intention to adopt the regulations on the office's Internet web site and the eRegulations System not later than twenty days after implementing such policies and procedures. Policies and procedures implemented pursuant to this subsection shall be valid until the time such regulations are effective.

(P.A. 15-146, S. 29; P.A. 18-91, S. 31.)

History: P.A. 15-146 effective July 1, 2015; P.A. 18-91 replaced references to Office of Healthcare access division within the Department of Public Health with references to Health Systems Planning Unit of the Office of Health Strategy, and amended Subsec. (l) by replacing references to Commissioner of Public Health with references to executive director of the Office of Health Strategy, and replacing “Department of Public Health's Internet web site” with “office's Internet web site”, effective May 14, 2018.

Sec. 19a-640. (Formerly Sec. 19a-156). Submission and review of proposed budget. Hearing. Guidelines. Revisions. Section 19a-640 is repealed, effective July 1, 2005.

(P.A. 73-117, S. 16, 31; P.A. 74-182, S. 1, 3; P.A. 76-44; P.A. 77-61, S. 2, 3; 77-192, S. 10, 13; P.A. 81-465, S. 7, 18; P.A. 89-371, S. 17; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 92-16, S. 65, 89; May 25 Sp. Sess. P.A. 94-1, S. 50, 130; P.A. 95-257, S. 39, 58; P.A. 05-151, S. 13.)

Sec. 19a-641. (Formerly Sec. 19a-158). Appeals. Any health care facility or institution and any state health care facility or institution aggrieved by any final decision of said unit under the provisions of sections 19a-630 to 19a-639e, inclusive, may appeal from such decision in accordance with the provisions of section 4-183, except venue shall be in the judicial district in which it is located. Such appeal shall have precedence in respect to order of trial over all other cases except writs of habeas corpus, actions brought by or on behalf of the state, including information on the relation of private individuals, and appeals from awards or decisions of administrative law judges.

(P.A. 73-117, S. 17, 31; P.A. 76-436, S. 261, 681; P.A. 77-192, S. 11, 13; 77-603, S. 49, 125; P.A. 78-280, S. 1, 127; P.A. 79-376, S. 21; P.A. 81-465, S. 11, 18; P.A. 84-315, S. 22, 24; P.A. 87-443, S. 1, 17; P.A. 89-371, S. 13; May 25 Sp. Sess. P.A. 94-1, S. 51, 130; P.A. 95-257, S. 39, 58; P.A. 05-151, S. 7; P.A. 06-64, S. 10; P.A. 18-91, S. 32; P.A. 21-18, S. 1.)

History: P.A. 76-436 replaced court of common pleas with superior court, effective July 1, 1978; P.A. 77-192 made provisions applicable to state health care institutions and facilities and replaced provision granting appeals precedence over “nonprivileged cases” with provision granting precedence except as specified; P.A. 77-603 replaced previous appeal provisions with statement that appeals to be in accordance with Sec. 4-183 but retained venue in county or judicial district where facility is located and retained precedence provision; P.A. 78-280 dropped reference to counties; P.A. 79-376 replaced “workmen's compensation” with “workers' compensation”; P.A. 81-465 substituted reference to Sec. 19-73b for reference to Sec. 19-73a, repealed by the same act; Sec. 19-73p transferred to Sec. 19a-158 in 1983; P.A. 84-315 added reference to Secs. 19a-165 to 19a-165q, inclusive; P.A. 87-443 added “final” re the decision of the commission; P.A. 89-371 substituted reference to Secs. 19a-167 to 19a-167g, inclusive, for reference to Secs. 19a-165 to 19a-165g, inclusive; May 25 Sp. Sess. P.A. 94-1 removed obsolete language, effective July 1, 1994; P.A. 95-257 replaced Commission on Hospitals and Health Care with Office of Health Care Access, effective July 1, 1995; Sec. 19a-158 transferred to Sec. 19a-641 in 1997; P.A. 05-151 removed reference to repealed Sec. 19a-640 and made a technical change; P.A. 06-64 deleted references to repealed Secs. 19a-648 and 19a-650, effective July 1, 2006; P.A. 18-91 replaced “office” with “unit” and replaced “informations” with “information”, effective May 14, 2018; pursuant to P.A. 21-18, “workers' compensation commissioners” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “administrative law judges”, effective October 1, 2021.

Annotations to former section 19-73p:

Cited. 182 C. 314.

Cited. 32 CS 300; 34 CS 225; 35 CS 13.

Annotations to former section 19a-158:

Cited. 196 C. 451; 208 C. 663; 210 C. 697; 214 C. 726; 226 C. 105; 235 C. 128.

Cited. 2 CA 68.

Sec. 19a-642. (Formerly Sec. 19a-159). Judicial enforcement. The Superior Court on application of the unit or the Attorney General, may enforce, by appropriate decree or process, any provision of this chapter or any act or any order of the unit rendered in pursuance of any statutory provision.

(P.A. 73-117, S. 18, 31; P.A. 76-436, S. 262, 681; P.A. 95-257, S. 39, 58; P.A. 18-91, S. 33.)

History: P.A. 76-436 replaced court of common pleas with superior court, effective July 1, 1978; Sec. 19-73q transferred to Sec. 19a-159 in 1983; P.A. 95-257 replaced Commission on Hospitals and Health Care with Office of Health Care Access, effective July 1, 1995; Sec. 19a-159 transferred to Sec. 19a-642 in 1997; P.A. 18-91 replaced “office” with “unit”, effective May 14, 2018.

Annotations to former section 19a-159:

Cited. 208 C. 663; 214 C. 321.

Sec. 19a-643. (Formerly Sec. 19a-160). Regulations. (a) The Office of Health Strategy shall adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, to carry out the provisions of sections 19a-630 to 19a-639e, inclusive, and sections 19a-644 and 19a-645 concerning the submission of data by health care facilities and institutions, including data on dealings between health care facilities and institutions and their affiliates, and, with regard to requests or proposals pursuant to sections 19a-638 to 19a-639e, inclusive, by state health care facilities and institutions, the ongoing inspections by the unit of operating budgets that have been approved by the health care facilities and institutions, standard reporting forms and standard accounting procedures to be utilized by health care facilities and institutions and the transferability of line items in the approved operating budgets of the health care facilities and institutions, except that any health care facility or institution may transfer any amounts among items in its operating budget. All such transfers shall be reported to the unit not later than thirty days after the transfer or transfers.

(b) The Office of Health Strategy may adopt such regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, as are necessary to implement this chapter.

(P.A. 73-117, S. 19, 31; P.A. 77-192, S. 12, 13; 77-304, S. 3; 77-601, S. 8, 11; P.A. 81-465, S. 10, 18; P.A. 83-3, S. 3, 5; P.A. 84-57, S. 2, 4; P.A. 89-371, S. 18; P.A. 91-48, S. 3, 4; Nov. Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-2, S. 9, 27; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 92-6, S. 8, 117; P.A. 93-262, S. 57, 87; P.A. 95-257, S. 39, 58; P.A. 98-150, S. 9, 17; P.A. 05-151, S. 8; P.A. 06-64, S. 11; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3, S. 13; P.A. 10-179, S. 116; P.A. 18-91, S. 34.)

History: P.A. 77-192 added reference to regulations re requests and proposals pursuant to Secs. 19-73l to 19-73n; P.A. 77-304 added provisions re regulations concerning disclosure of business interests which may have impact on provision of services; P.A. 77-601 added provision re regulation of home health care, homemaker-home health aide and coordination, assessment and monitoring agencies; P.A. 81-465 made commission's adoption of regulations to carry out its duties mandatory rather than optional; Sec. 19-73r transferred to Sec. 19a-160 in 1983; P.A. 83-3 substituted reference to Sec. 19a-157 for reference to Sec. 19a-156; P.A. 84-57 added the requirement to adopt regulations to carry out the provisions of “sections 19a-161 and 19a-162”; P.A. 89-371 added reference to Sec. 19a-167e, removed an obsolete reference and added language concerning affiliates; P.A. 91-48 removed language directing the commission to adopt regulations requiring full disclosure of business interests which directly or indirectly relate to nursing home operations; Nov. Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-2 added Subsec. (b) giving commission authority to adopt regulations for the chapter and made technical change in Subsec. (a); May Sp. Sess. P.A. 92-6 added new Subsec. (c) providing authority for the commission to adopt regulations concerning fees imposed on requests or proposals pursuant to Secs. 19a-154 and 19a-155 and to specify requirements for the fee schedule; P.A. 93-262 removed provision requiring the commission to adopt regulations concerning approval of coordination, assessment and monitoring agencies and regulations concerning rate review of home health care agencies and information based upon recommendations of the commissioner on aging, 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-160 transferred to Sec. 19a-643 in 1997; P.A. 98-150 amended Subsec. (c) by adding condition that modification request have $100,000 limit and deleting references to Sec. 19a-638, effective June 5, 1998; P.A. 05-151 amended Subsec. (a) by removing reference to repealed Sec. 19a-640 and providing that authority to approve operating budgets rests with facilities and institutions, not with Office of Health Care Access; P.A. 06-64 deleted reference to repealed Sec. 19a-648 in Subsec. (a), effective July 1, 2006; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3 amended Subsecs. (a) and (b) by substituting “Department of Public Health” for “office” and amended Subsec. (c) by substituting “Department of Public Health” for “Office of Health Care Access”, effective October 6, 2009; P.A. 10-179 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing “sections 19a-638 and 19a-639” with “sections 19a-638 to 19a-639e, inclusive” and deleted former Subsec. (c) re regulations concerning a fee schedule for certificate of need review; P.A. 18-91 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing “Department of Public Health” with “Office of Health Strategy”, replacing “office” with “unit” and making a technical change, and amended Subsec. (b) by replacing “Department of Public Health” with “Office of Health Strategy”, effective May 14, 2018.

Annotations to former section 19a-160:

Cited. 200 C. 489; 208 C. 663.

Sec. 19a-644. (Formerly Sec. 19a-161). Annual reports of short-term acute care general or children's hospitals. Regulations on affiliation or control of health care facilities and institutions. Required reporting of audited financial statements. (a) On or before February twenty-eighth annually, for the fiscal year ending on September thirtieth of the immediately preceding year, each short-term acute care general or children's hospital shall report to the unit with respect to its operations in such fiscal year, in such form as the unit may by regulation require. Such report shall include: (1) Salaries and fringe benefits for the ten highest paid hospital and health system employees; (2) the name of each joint venture, partnership, subsidiary and corporation related to the hospital; (3) the salaries paid to hospital and health system employees by each such joint venture, partnership, subsidiary and related corporation and by the hospital to the employees of related corporations; and (4) information and data prescribed by the Office of Health Strategy concerning charges for trauma activation fees. For purposes of this subsection, “health system” has the same meaning as provided in section 33-182aa.

(b) The Office of Health Strategy shall adopt regulations in accordance with chapter 54 to provide for the collection of data and information in addition to the annual report required in subsection (a) of this section. Such regulations shall provide for the submission of information about the operations of the following entities: Persons or parent corporations that own or control the health care facility, institution or provider; corporations, including limited liability corporations, in which the health care facility, institution, provider, its parent, any type of affiliate or any combination thereof, owns more than an aggregate of fifty per cent of the stock or, in the case of nonstock corporations, is the sole member; and any partnerships in which the person, health care facility, institution, provider, its parent or an affiliate or any combination thereof, or any combination of health care providers or related persons, owns a greater than fifty per cent interest. For purposes of this subsection, “affiliate” means any person that directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls or is controlled by or is under common control with any health care facility, institution, provider or person that is regulated in any way under this chapter. A person is deemed controlled by another person if the other person, or one of that other person's affiliates, officers, agents or management employees, acts as a general partner or manager of the person in question.

(c) Each nonprofit short-term acute care general or children's hospital shall include in the annual report required pursuant to subsection (a) of this section a report of all transfers of assets, transfers of operations or changes of control involving its clinical or nonclinical services or functions from such hospital to a person or entity organized or operated for profit.

(d) Each hospital that is a party to a transfer of ownership involving a hospital for which a certificate of need application was filed and approved pursuant to this chapter shall, during the fiscal year ending on September thirtieth of the immediately preceding year, include in the annual report required pursuant to subsection (a) of this section any salary, severance payment, stock offering or other financial gain realized by each officer, director, board member or senior manager of the hospital as a result of such transaction.

(e) The unit shall require each hospital licensed by the Department of Public Health, that is not subject to the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, to report to said unit on its operations in the preceding fiscal year by filing copies of the hospital's audited financial statements, except a health system, as defined in section 19a-508c, may submit to the unit one such report that includes the audited financial statements for each of its hospitals. Such report shall be due at the unit on or before the close of business on the last business day of the fifth month following the month in which a hospital's fiscal year ends.

(P.A. 73-117, S. 28, 31; P.A. 81-465, S. 16, 18; P.A. 83-3, S. 4, 5; P.A. 84-57, S. 3, 4; P.A. 86-61, S. 1, 2; P.A. 89-371, S. 19; P.A. 91-125; May 25 Sp. Sess. P.A. 94-1, S. 119, 130; P.A. 95-257, S. 39, 58; P.A. 98-150, S. 15, 17; P.A. 99-172, S. 4, 7; P.A. 02-101, S. 2, 3; P.A. 03-278, S. 76; P.A. 04-258, S. 22; P.A. 06-64, S. 12; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3, S. 14; P.A. 10-179, S. 120; P.A. 15-146, S. 33, 40; P.A. 18-91, S. 35; P.A. 19-117, S. 245.)

History: P.A. 81-465 changed deadline for initial report from December 31, 1974, to February 28, 1982; Sec. 19-73s transferred to Sec. 19a-161 in 1983; P.A. 83-3 added reference to Sec. 19a-157; P.A. 84-57 specified that reports must be “in such form as the commission may by regulation require”; P.A. 86-61 required facilities issued rate orders to submit reports and made technical changes; P.A. 89-371 made technical changes, added reference to Secs. 19a-167 to 19a-167g, inclusive, and removed obsolete language; P.A. 91-125 added Subdivs. (1) to (5), inclusive, listing five specific items of information to be included in the report; May 25 Sp. Sess. P.A. 94-1 replaced revenue caps with revenue limits and made technical changes, effective July 1, 1994; P.A. 95-257 replaced Commission on Hospitals and Health Care with Office of Health Care Access, effective July 1, 1995; Sec. 19a-161 transferred to Sec. 19a-644 in 1997; P.A. 98-150 added Subsec. (b) re regulations on affiliation or control, effective June 5, 1998; P.A. 99-172 amended Subsec. (a) to make a technical change and to expand budget reporting and make it in the discretion of the office, and amended Subsec. (b) by changing “parent” to “persons or parent”, changing “an affiliate” to “any type of affiliate”, changing 50% to “an aggregate” of 50%, adding references to “person”, “provider” and “combination of health care providers or related persons”, and adding definition of “affiliate”, effective June 23, 1999; P.A. 02-101 amended Subsec. (a) to make the reporting requirements applicable to short-term acute care general or children's hospitals by deleting “each health care facility and institution for which a budget was approved or revenue limits were established under the provisions of section 19a-640 or section 19a-674” and added Subsec. (c) re reporting of hospital's audited financial records, effective July 1, 2002; P.A. 03-278 made technical changes in Subsec. (a), effective July 9, 2003; P.A. 04-258 added new Subsec. (c) requiring nonprofit short-term acute care general or children's hospital to include in annual report required by Subsec. (a) a report of all transfers of assets or operations and changes in control of clinical and nonclinical services to a for-profit entity and redesignated existing Subsec. (c) as Subsec. (d), effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 06-64 amended Subsec. (a) by deleting former Subdiv. (1) to remove information on average salaries by job classification from reporting requirements, redesignating existing Subdivs. (2) to (4) as Subdivs. (1) to (3) and eliminating office's discretionary authority to request breakdown of hospital and department budgets, effective July 1, 2006; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3 amended Subsec. (b) by substituting “Department of Public Health” for “office”, effective October 6, 2009; P.A. 10-179 amended Subsec. (d) by replacing “Office of Health Care Access” with “office” and by making a technical change; P.A. 15-146 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing “positions” with “hospital and health system employees” in Subdiv. (1), adding reference to health system in Subdiv. (3) and adding definition of “health system”, amended existing Subsec. (d) by adding exception re health system, added new Subsec. (d) re hospital that is a party to a transfer of ownership and redesignated existing Subsec. (d) as Subsec. (e), effective July 1, 2015; P.A. 18-91 amended Subsecs. (a) and (e) by replacing “office” with “unit”, and amended Subsec. (b) by replacing “Department of Public Health” with “Office of Health Strategy”, and making a technical change, effective May 14, 2018; P.A. 19-117 amended Subsec. (a) by adding Subdiv. (4) re information and data concerning charges for trauma activation fees and made technical changes.

Sec. 19a-645. (Formerly Sec. 19a-162). Taking of land to enlarge hospitals. A nonprofit hospital, licensed by the Department of Public Health, which provides lodging, care and treatment to members of the public, and which wishes to enlarge its public facilities by adding contiguous land and buildings thereon, if any, the title to which it cannot otherwise acquire, may prefer a complaint for the right to take such land to the superior court for the judicial district in which such land is located, provided such hospital shall have received the approval of the Health Systems Planning Unit of the Office of Health Strategy in accordance with the provisions of this chapter. Said court shall appoint a committee of three disinterested persons, who, after examining the premises and hearing the parties, shall report to the court as to the necessity and propriety of such enlargement and as to the quantity, boundaries and value of the land and buildings thereon, if any, which they deem proper to be taken for such purpose and the damages resulting from such taking. If such committee reports that such enlargement is necessary and proper and the court accepts such report, the decision of said court thereon shall have the effect of a judgment and execution may be issued thereon accordingly, in favor of the person to whom damages may be assessed, for the amount thereof; and, on payment thereof, the title to the land and buildings thereon, if any, for such purpose shall be vested in the complainant, but such land and buildings thereon, if any, shall not be taken until such damages are paid to such owner or deposited with said court, for such owner's use, within thirty days after such report is accepted. If such application is denied, the owner of the land shall recover costs of the applicant, to be taxed by said court, which may issue execution therefor. Land so taken shall be held by such hospital and used only for the public purpose stated in its complaint to the superior court. No land dedicated or otherwise reserved as open space or park land or for other recreational purposes and no land belonging to any town, city or borough shall be taken under the provisions of this section.

(P.A. 73-582, S. 1; P.A. 77-614, S. 323, 610; P.A. 81-465, S. 12, 18; P.A. 82-472, S. 63, 183; P.A. 89-371, S. 20; P.A. 93-381, S. 9, 39; May 25 Sp. Sess. P.A. 94-1, S. 52, 130; P.A. 95-257, S. 12, 21, 39, 58; P.A. 05-151, S. 9; P.A. 10-179, S. 108; P.A. 18-91, S. 36.)

History: P.A. 77-614 replaced department of health with department of health services, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 81-465 deleted reference to Sec. 19-73n, repealed by the same act; P.A. 82-472 deleted obsolete reference to counties; Sec. 19-73t transferred to Sec. 19a-162 in 1983; P.A. 89-371 added reference to Secs. 19a-167 to 19a-167g, inclusive; P.A. 93-381 replaced department of health services with department of public health and addiction 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 Commissioner and Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Commissioner and Department of Public Health and replaced Commission on Hospitals and Health Care with Office of Health Care Access, effective July 1, 1995; Sec. 19a-162 transferred to Sec. 19a-645 in 1997; P.A. 05-151 deleted reference to repealed Sec. 19a-640; P.A. 10-179 replaced “Office of Health Care Access under section 19a-639” with “Office of Health Care Access division of the Department of Public Health in accordance with the provisions of this chapter”; P.A. 18-91 replaced “Office of Health Care Access division” with “Health Systems Planning Unit” and replaced “Department of Public Health” with “Office of Health Strategy”, effective May 14, 2018.

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

(1) “Unit” means the Health Systems Planning Unit within the Office of Health Strategy, established under section 19a-612;

(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) 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 unit for inspection or submission to the unit upon request, for at least three years after the close of the applicable fiscal year.

(2) 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 unit.

(3) 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.

(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.

(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 unit 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 unit as a contractual allowance. For purposes of this subsection “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; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3, S. 15; P.A. 12-170, S. 6; P.A. 18-91, S. 37.)

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; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3 redefined “office” in Subsec. (a)(1) by adding “division of the Department of Public Health”, amended Subsec. (c)(4) by making a technical change and amended Subsec. (g) by substituting “Department of Public Health” for “office”, effective October 6, 2009; P.A. 12-170 amended Subsec. (c) by deleting former Subdiv. (1) re negotiation of rates between 1994 and 2002, redesignating existing Subdivs. (2) to (4) as Subdivs. (1) to (3), making technical changes in redesignated Subdivs. (1) and (2), deleting provision in redesignated Subdiv. (2) re review by independent auditor and deleting provisions in redesignated Subdiv. (3) re filing copy of agreement, statement on agreement and consideration of agreement as a trade secret and amended Subsec. (g) by deleting provisions re disallowance of certain agreements, petition by aggrieved payers and adoption of regulations; P.A. 18-91 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing definition of “office” with definition of “unit”, amended Subsecs. (c) and (i) by replacing “office” with “unit”, and further amended Subsec. (i) by making a technical change, effective May 14, 2018.

Annotation to former section 19a-166:

Cited. 214 C. 321.

Annotation to present section:

Absent a negotiated agreement setting the liability for hospital services rendered pursuant to section, a workers' compensation commissioner shall determine an employer's liability for hospital services on the basis of the hospital's filed rates that it is required to charge “any payer” under Subsec. (b) rather than amount that such services “actually cost” the hospital as contemplated under Sec. 31-294d. 315 C. 704.

Sec. 19a-647. (Formerly Sec. 19a-166b). Preferred provider network. Definitions. Filing requirements. Section 19a-647 is repealed, effective October 1, 2001.

(P.A. 93-358, S. 1; P.A. 94-235; P.A. 95-79, S. 59, 189; 95-257, S. 39, 58; P.A. 97-99, S. 24; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-4, S. 57, 58.)

Sec. 19a-648. (Formerly Sec. 19a-167e). Performance or billing by affiliates after the base year. Adjustments. Civil penalty. Section 19a-648 is repealed, effective July 1, 2006.

(P.A. 89-371, S. 6; P.A. 95-257, S. 39, 58; P.A. 06-64, S. 21.)

Sec. 19a-649. (Formerly Sec. 19a-167f). Uncompensated care. Annual submission of information. (a) The unit shall review annually the level of uncompensated care provided by each hospital to the indigent. Each hospital shall file annually with the unit its policies regarding the provision of charity care and reduced cost services to the indigent, excluding medical assistance recipients, and its debt collection practices. A hospital shall file its audited financial statements not later than February twenty-eighth of each year, except a health system, as defined in section 19a-508c, may file one such statement that includes the audited financial statements for each hospital within the health system. Not later than March thirty-first of each year, the hospital shall file a verification of the hospital's net revenue for the most recently completed fiscal year in a format prescribed by the unit.

(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.

(c) Each hospital recognized as a nonprofit organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, or any subsequent corresponding internal revenue code of the United States, as amended from time to time, shall, along with data submitted annually pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, submit to the unit (1) a complete copy of such hospital's most-recently completed Internal Revenue Service form 990, including all parts and schedules; and (2) in the form and manner prescribed by the unit, data compiled to prepare such hospital's community health needs assessment, as required pursuant to Section 501(r) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, or any subsequent corresponding internal revenue code of the United States, as amended from time to time, provided such copy and data submitted pursuant to this subsection shall not include: (A) Individual patient information, including, but not limited to, patient-identifiable information; (B) information that is not owned or controlled by such hospital; (C) information that such hospital is contractually required to keep confidential or that is prohibited from disclosure by a data use agreement; or (D) information concerning research on human subjects as described in section 45 CFR 46.101 et seq., as amended from time to time.

(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; P.A. 11-44, S. 174; P.A. 12-170, S. 3; P.A. 13-234, S. 147; P.A. 15-242, S. 70; P.A. 18-91, S. 38.)

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; P.A. 11-44 amended Subsec. (a) by deleting requirements that office consult with Commissioner of Social Services and that hospitals obtain an independent audit and adding requirement that hospitals file audited financial statements annually, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 12-170 amended Subsec. (a) by adding provision requiring annual filing of net revenue by March 31st each year and making technical changes; P.A. 13-234 added Subsec. (c) re submission of Internal Revenue Service form 990 and data compiled to prepare community health needs assessment; P.A. 15-242 amended Subsec. (a) by adding exception re health system, effective July 1, 2015; P.A. 18-91 amended Subsecs. (a) and (c) by replacing “office” with “unit”, effective May 14, 2018.

Sec. 19a-650. (Formerly Sec. 19a-167g). Regulations. Section 19a-650 is repealed, effective July 1, 2006.

(P.A. 89-371, S. 8, 31; May 25 Sp. Sess. P.A. 94-1, S. 53, 130; P.A. 95-257, S. 39, 58; P.A. 06-64, S. 21.)

Sec. 19a-651. (Formerly Sec. 19a-167h). Data requirement. Rate order compliance. Adjustment. Section 19a-651 is repealed, effective October 1, 2002.

(P.A. 89-371, S. 24; P.A. 95-257, S. 39, 58; S.A. 02-12, S. 1.)

Sec. 19a-652. (Formerly Sec. 19a-167i). Termination of prospective payment system. Savings clause. Section 19a-652 is repealed, effective July 1, 2006.

(P.A. 89-371, S. 27; P.A. 06-64, S. 21.)

Sec. 19a-653. (Formerly Sec. 19a-167j). Failure to file data or information. Civil penalty. Notice. Extension. Hearing. Appeal. Deduction from Medicaid payments. (a) Any person or health care facility or institution that is required to file a certificate of need for any of the activities described in section 19a-638, and any person or health care facility or institution that is required to file data or information under any public or special act or under this chapter or sections 19a-486 to 19a-486h, inclusive, or any regulation adopted or order issued under this chapter or said sections, which wilfully fails to seek certificate of need approval for any of the activities described in section 19a-638 or to so file within prescribed time periods, shall be subject to a civil penalty of up to one thousand dollars a day for each day such person or health care facility or institution conducts any of the described activities without certificate of need approval as required by section 19a-638 or for each day such information is missing, incomplete or inaccurate. Any civil penalty authorized by this section shall be imposed by the Office of Health Strategy in accordance with subsections (b) to (e), inclusive, of this section.

(b) If the Office of Health Strategy has reason to believe that a violation has occurred for which a civil penalty is authorized by subsection (a) of this section or subsection (e) of section 19a-632, it shall notify the person or health care facility or institution by first-class mail or personal service. The notice shall include: (1) A reference to the sections of the statute or regulation involved; (2) a short and plain statement of the matters asserted or charged; (3) a statement of the amount of the civil penalty or penalties to be imposed; (4) the initial date of the imposition of the penalty; and (5) a statement of the party's right to a hearing.

(c) The person or health care facility or institution to whom the notice is addressed shall have fifteen business days from the date of mailing of the notice to make written application to the unit to request (1) a hearing to contest the imposition of the penalty, or (2) an extension of time to file the required data. A failure to make a timely request for a hearing or an extension of time to file the required data or a denial of a request for an extension of time shall result in a final order for the imposition of the penalty. All hearings under this section shall be conducted pursuant to sections 4-176e to 4-184, inclusive. The Office of Health Strategy may grant an extension of time for filing the required data or mitigate or waive the penalty upon such terms and conditions as, in its discretion, it deems proper or necessary upon consideration of any extenuating factors or circumstances.

(d) A final order of the Office of Health Strategy assessing a civil penalty shall be subject to appeal as set forth in section 4-183 after a hearing before the unit pursuant to subsection (c) of this section, except that any such appeal shall be taken to the superior court for the judicial district of New Britain. Such final order shall not be subject to appeal under any other provision of the general statutes. No challenge to any such final order shall be allowed as to any issue which could have been raised by an appeal of an earlier order, denial or other final decision by the office.

(e) If any person or health care facility or institution fails to pay any civil penalty under this section, after the assessment of such penalty has become final the amount of such penalty may be deducted from payments to such person or health care facility or institution from the Medicaid account.

(P.A. 88-230, S. 1, 12; P.A. 89-371, S. 28, 31; P.A. 90-98, S. 1, 2; P.A. 93-142, S. 4, 7, 8; May 25 Sp. Sess. P.A. 94-1, S. 120, 130; P.A. 95-160, S. 55, 69; 95-220, S. 4–6; 95-257, S. 39, 58; P.A. 96-139, S. 12, 13; P.A. 98-150, S. 8, 17; P.A. 99-172, S. 5, 7; 99-215, S. 24, 29; P.A. 05-151, S. 10; P.A. 06-28, S. 6; P.A. 09-232, S. 97; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3, S. 16; P.A. 10-179, S. 93; P.A. 11-242, S. 87; P.A. 13-234, S. 148; P.A. 18-91, S. 39.)

History: May 25 Sp. Sess. P.A. 94-1 removed obsolete language and added reference to Secs. 19a-170 to 19a-170g, inclusive, in Subsec. (a), effective July 1, 1994 (Revisor's note: The last sentence of Subsec. (a) which reads “Any civil penalty authorized by this section shall be imposed by the Commission on Hospitals and Health Care in accordance with subsection (b) of this section.” was omitted from the amendment to Subsec. (a) but in the absence of any indication that the General Assembly intended to delete this sentence it has been treated as a clerical error and reinstated by the Revisors); P.A. 95-160 amended Subsec. (a) to add health care providers who own, operate, or seek to acquire CAT scan or medical imaging equipment, increase the penalty from $250 to $1,000, made technical changes, broadened application of section to all of chapter 368c and 368z, deleted Subsecs. (b) to (d) and replaced them with new (b) to (e) re procedure for application of penalty, effective June 1, 1995 (Revisor's note: P.A. 88-230, 90-98, 93-142 and 95-220 authorized substitution of “judicial district of Hartford” for “judicial district of Hartford-New Britain” in 1995 public and special acts, effective September 1, 1998); P.A. 95-257 replaced Commission on Hospitals and Health Care with Office of Health Care Access, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 96-139 changed effective date of P.A. 95-160 but without affecting this section; Sec. 19a-167j transferred to Sec. 19a-653 in 1997; P.A. 98-150 amended Subsec. (a) by deleting “health care facility or institution” concerning owning, operating or seeking to acquire equipment and adding it concerning filing data, added “or information under any public or special act”, adding linear accelerators and adding Subdiv. (2) re request as to whether certificate of need is required and made technical changes, effective June 5, 1998; P.A. 99-172 added reference to “person” in Subsecs. (a), (c) and (e) and made technical changes in Subsecs. (b), (c) and (e), effective June 23, 1999; P.A. 99-215 replaced “judicial district of Hartford” with “judicial district of New Britain” in Subsec. (d), effective June 29, 1999; P.A. 05-151 amended Subsec. (a) by extending the civil penalty for failure to file certificate of need data or information with office to non-profit hospitals seeking to become for-profit hospitals and to “any person or health care facility or institution”, rather than “any health care provider”, and by broadening the type of major medical and scanning equipment that triggers the filing requirement, amended Subsec. (c) by extending the deadline for requesting a public hearing to contest the penalty from 10 calendar days to 15 business days after office mails the notice of violation and penalty to be imposed, and made conforming changes in Subsecs. (b), (c) and (e); P.A. 06-28 amended Subsec. (a)(1) by increasing the major medical equipment acquisition threshold from $400,000 to $3,000,000, effective July 1, 2006; P.A. 09-232 amended Subsec. (a)(1) by eliminating “cineangiography equipment”, effective July 1, 2009; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3 amended Subsec. (a)(1) by substituting “Department of Public Health” for “Office of Health Care Access” and amended Subsecs. (b), (c) and (d) by substituting “Department of Public Health” for “office”, effective October 6, 2009; P.A. 10-179 amended Subsec. (a) by deleting portion of former Subdiv. (1) re filing requirements for medical equipment costing over $3,000,000 and certain equipment developed or introduced on or after October 1, 2005, by adding provisions re civil penalties for wilful failure to seek certificate of need approval under Sec. 19a-638 and re exception to civil penalties for failure to complete inventory questionnaire required by Sec. 19a-634, and by deleting former Subdiv. (2) re request for office determination; P.A. 11-242 amended Subsec. (b) by adding reference to civil penalty authorized by Sec. 19a-632(e), effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 13-234 amended Subsec. (a) by deleting provision re exemption from civil penalties for failure to complete inventory questionnaire; P.A. 18-91 replaced references to Department of Public Health with references to Office of Health Strategy, and amended Subsecs. (c) and (d) to replace “office” with “unit”, effective May 14, 2018.

Annotations to former section 19a-167j:

Cited. 223 C. 450; 238 C. 216.

Sec. 19a-654. (Formerly Sec. 19a-167k). Data submission requirements. Memorandum of understanding. Regulations. (a) As used in this section:

(1) “Patient-identifiable data” means any information that identifies or may reasonably be used as a basis to identify an individual patient; and

(2) “De-identified patient data” means any information that meets the requirements for de-identification of protected health information as set forth in 45 CFR 164.514.

(b) Each short-term acute care general or children's hospital shall submit patient-identifiable inpatient discharge data and emergency department data to the Health Systems Planning Unit of the Office of Health Strategy to fulfill the responsibilities of the unit. Such data shall include data taken from patient medical record abstracts and bills. The unit shall specify the timing and format of such submissions. Data submitted pursuant to this section may be submitted through a contractual arrangement with an intermediary and such contractual arrangement shall (1) comply with the provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 P.L. 104-191 (HIPAA), and (2) ensure that such submission of data is timely and accurate. The unit may conduct an audit of the data submitted through such intermediary in order to verify its accuracy.

(c) An outpatient surgical facility, as defined in section 19a-493b, a short-term acute care general or children's hospital, or a facility that provides outpatient surgical services as part of the outpatient surgery department of a short-term acute care hospital shall submit to the unit the data identified in subsection (c) of section 19a-634. The unit shall convene a working group consisting of representatives of outpatient surgical facilities, hospitals and other individuals necessary to develop recommendations that address current obstacles to, and proposed requirements for, patient-identifiable data reporting in the outpatient setting. On or before February 1, 2012, the working group shall report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, on its findings and recommendations to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to public health and insurance and real estate. Additional reporting of outpatient data as the unit deems necessary shall begin not later than July 1, 2015. On or before July 1, 2018, and annually thereafter, the Connecticut Association of Ambulatory Surgery Centers shall provide a progress report to the Office of Health Strategy, until such time as all ambulatory surgery centers are in full compliance with the implementation of systems that allow for the reporting of outpatient data as required by the executive director. Until such additional reporting requirements take effect on July 1, 2015, the department may work with the Connecticut Association of Ambulatory Surgery Centers and the Connecticut Hospital Association on specific data reporting initiatives provided that no penalties shall be assessed under this chapter or any other provision of law with respect to the failure to submit such data.

(d) Except as provided in this subsection, patient-identifiable data received by the unit shall be kept confidential and shall not be considered public records or files subject to disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, as defined in section 1-200. The unit may release de-identified patient data or aggregate patient data to the public in a manner consistent with the provisions of 45 CFR 164.514. Any de-identified patient data released by the unit shall exclude provider, physician and payer organization names or codes and shall be kept confidential by the recipient. The unit may release patient-identifiable data (1) for medical and scientific research as provided for in section 19a-25-3 of the regulations of Connecticut state agencies, and (2) to (A) a state agency for the purpose of improving health care service delivery, (B) a federal agency or the office of the Attorney General for the purpose of investigating hospital mergers and acquisitions, (C) another state's health data collection agency with which the unit has entered into a reciprocal data-sharing agreement for the purpose of certificate of need review or evaluation of health care services, upon receipt of a request from such agency, provided, prior to the release of such patient-identifiable data, such agency enters into a written agreement with the unit pursuant to which such agency agrees to protect the confidentiality of such patient-identifiable data and not to use such patient-identifiable data as a basis for any decision concerning a patient, or (D) a consultant or independent professional contracted by the Office of Health Strategy pursuant to section 19a-614 to carry out the functions of the unit, including collecting, managing or organizing such patient-identifiable data. No individual or entity receiving patient-identifiable data may release such data in any manner that may result in an individual patient, physician, provider or payer being identified. The unit shall impose a reasonable, cost-based fee for any patient data provided to a nongovernmental entity.

(e) Not later than October 1, 2018, the Health Systems Planning Unit shall enter into a memorandum of understanding with the Comptroller that shall permit the Comptroller to access the data set forth in subsections (b) and (c) of this section, provided the Comptroller agrees, in writing, to keep individual patient and provider data identified by proper name or personal identification code and submitted pursuant to this section confidential.

(f) The executive director of the Office of Health Strategy shall adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, to carry out the provisions of this section.

(g) The duties assigned to the Office of Health Strategy under the provisions of this section shall be implemented within available appropriations.

(P.A. 89-371, S. 29, 31; P.A. 95-257, S. 39, 58; P.A. 02-101, S. 5; P.A. 10-179, S. 109; P.A. 11-58, S. 12; 11-61, S. 143; P.A. 12-170, S. 8; June 12 Sp. Sess. P.A. 12-2, S. 92; P.A. 15-242, S. 13; P.A. 18-91, S. 40; P.A. 19-118, S. 77.)

History: P.A. 95-257 replaced Commission on Hospitals and Health Care with Office of Health Care Access, effective July 1, 1995; Sec. 19a-167k transferred to Sec. 19a-654 in 1997; P.A. 02-101 amended section to make provisions applicable to “short-term acute care general or children's hospitals” and to require the submission of data necessary “to fulfill the responsibilities of the office”, rather than for “budget review purpose”, effective July 1, 2002; P.A. 10-179 replaced “Office of Health Care Access” with “Office of Health Care Access division of the Department of Public Health”; P.A. 11-58 added Subsec. (a) re definitions of “patient-identifiable data” and “de-identified patient data”, designated existing provisions as Subsec. (b) and substantially revised same re data to be submitted and facilities required to submit data to Office of Health Care Access, added Subsecs. (c) to (g) re reporting requirements for outpatient surgical facilities, confidentiality provisions, memorandum of understanding between Office of Health Care Access and Comptroller, regulations and implementation within available appropriations, and made conforming and technical changes, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 11-61 amended Subsec. (b) to permit data to be submitted through a contractual arrangement with an intermediary and made technical changes in Subsecs. (c) and (e), effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 12-170 amended Subsec. (d) by adding provision allowing office to release patient-identifiable data to a state or federal agency or another state's health data collection agency for specified purposes under certain conditions and by making technical changes; June 12 Sp. Sess. P.A. 12-2 made a technical change in Subsec. (b)(1); P.A. 15-242 amended Subsec. (d)(1) to add reference to medical and scientific research and replace “section 19a-25 and regulations adopted pursuant to section 19a-25” with “section 19a-25-3 of the regulations of Connecticut state agencies”; P.A. 18-91 replaced references to Office of Health Care Access division of the Department of Public Health with references to the Health Systems Planning Unit of the Office of Health Strategy, amended Subsecs. (c) and (f) to replace references to Commissioner of Public Health with references to executive director of the Office of Health Strategy, further amended Subsec. (c) to replace “July 1, 2012” with “July 1, 2018” re progress report, and amended Subsec. (e) to replace “October 1, 2011” with “October 1, 2018”, effective May 14, 2018; P.A. 19-118 amended Subsec. (d) by adding Subpara. (D) re consultant or independent professional contracted by Office of Health Strategy, effective July 9, 2019.

Annotation to former section 19a-167k:

Cited. 223 C. 450.

Sec. 19a-655. (Formerly Sec. 19a-167l). Hospital budget calculations for the fiscal year commencing October 1, 1993. Section 19a-655 is repealed, effective July 1, 2002.

(P.A. 93-229, S. 12, 21; P.A. 95-257, S. 39, 58; P.A. 02-89, S. 36; 02-101, S. 20.)

Secs. 19a-656 to 19a-658. (Formerly Secs. 19a-167m to 19a-167o). Compliance assessment calculation for fiscal year commencing October 1, 1991, to be applied in fiscal year commencing fiscal year October 1, 1993. Request for adjustment to authorized net and gross revenue and authorized equivalent discharges for fiscal year commencing October 1, 1993; limitations; filings. Pricemaster adjustment; request procedure; limitations; data requirement; report. Sections 19a-656 to 19a-658, inclusive, are repealed, effective October 1, 2002.

(P.A. 93-229, S. 13, 14, 17, 21; P.A. 95-257, S. 39, 58; P.A. 02-89, S. 90; 02-101, S. 17–19.)

Sec. 19a-659. (Formerly Sec. 19a-170). Definitions. As used in sections 19a-644, 19a-649, 19a-670 and 19a-676, unless the context otherwise requires:

(1) “Unit” means the Health Systems Planning Unit within the Office of Health Strategy, established under section 19a-612;

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

(5) “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 are on file at the unit;

(6) “Medical assistance” means (A) the programs for medical assistance provided under the Medicaid program, including HUSKY A, or (B) any other state-funded medical assistance program, including HUSKY B;

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

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

(9) “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;

(10) “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;

(11) “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;

(12) “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;

(13) “Gross revenue” means the total gross patient charges for all patient services provided by a hospital; and

(14) “Net revenue” means total gross revenue less contractual allowance, less the difference between government charges and government payments, less uncompensated care and other allowances.

(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; P.A. 08-29, S. 1; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3, S. 17; P.A. 10-32, S. 76; P.A. 11-44, S. 175; P.A. 15-69, S. 37; P.A. 18-91, S. 41.)

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; P.A. 08-29 redefined “emergency assistance to families” in Subdiv. (16) and made a technical change, effective April 29, 2008; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3 amended prefatory language by adding “unless the context otherwise requires” and redefined “office” in Subdiv. (1) by adding “division of the Department of Public Health”, effective October 6, 2009; P.A. 10-32 made a technical change, effective May 10, 2010; P.A. 11-44 amended introductory language by replacing references to statute sections with reference to the chapter, deleted former Subdiv. (4) re definition of “base year”, redesignated existing Subdivs. (5) to (15) as Subdivs. (4) to (14), redefined “uncompensated care”, “medical assistance” and “net revenue”, deleted former Subdiv. (16) re definition of “emergency assistance to families”, and made technical changes, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 15-69 amended Subdiv. (6) to change “the HUSKY Plan, Part A” to “HUSKY A” and “the HUSKY Plan, Part B” to “HUSKY B”, effective June 19, 2015; P.A. 18-91 replaced “this chapter” with “sections 19a-644, 19a-649, 19a-670 and 19a-676”, amended Subdiv. (1) by replacing definition of “office” with definition of “unit”, and amended Subdiv. (5) by replacing “office” with “unit”, effective May 14, 2018.

Sec. 19a-660. (Formerly Sec. 19a-168g). Adjustments to orders. Section 19a-660 is repealed, effective July 1, 2002.

(Nov. Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-2, S. 21, 27; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 92-16, S. 64, 89; P.A. 93-44, S. 14, 24; P.A. 94-9, S. 8, 41; P.A. 95-257, S. 39, 58; P.A. 02-101, S. 20.)

Sec. 19a-661. (Formerly Sec. 19a-168i). Penalty. Section 19a-661 is repealed, effective July 1, 2006.

(Nov. Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-2, S. 8, 27; P.A. 93-44, S. 15, 24; P.A. 94-9, S. 9, 41; P.A. 95-257, S. 39, 58; P.A. 06-64, S. 21.)

Sec. 19a-662. (Formerly Sec. 19a-168j). Cost reduction plan requirement. Regulations. Section 19a-662 is repealed, effective July 1, 2011.

(Nov. Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-2, S. 13, 27; P.A. 94-9, S. 10, 41; P.A. 95-257, S. 39, 58; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3, S. 18; P.A. 11-44, S. 178.)

Sec. 19a-663. (Formerly Sec. 19a-168p). Bond authorization. Section 19a-663 is repealed, effective July 1, 2006.

(Nov. Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-2, S. 20, 27; P.A. 93-381, S. 9, 39; P.A. 95-257, S. 12, 21, 58; P.A. 06-64, S. 21.)

Secs. 19a-664 and 19a-665. (Formerly Secs. 19a-168s and 19a-168t). Assessment factor for the uncompensated care pool adjustments for the fiscal year commencing October 1, 1993. Authorized governmental shortfall calculation for the fiscal year commencing October 1, 1993. Sections 19a-664 and 19a-665 are repealed, effective July 1, 2002.

(P.A. 93-229, S. 15, 16, 21; P.A. 95-257, S. 39, 58; P.A. 02-89, S. 90; 02-101, S. 20.)

Sec. 19a-666. (Formerly Sec. 19a-168u). Uncompensated care pool expenditures. Section 19a-666 is repealed, effective October 1, 2002.

(P.A. 94-9, S. 37, 41; P.A. 02-89, S. 90.)

Secs. 19a-667 and 19a-668. (Formerly Secs. 19a-168v and 19a-168w). Uncompensated care pool termination; final settlement. Assistance for termination of uncompensated care pool. Sections 19a-667 and 19a-668 are repealed, effective July 1, 2006.

(P.A. 94-9, S. 3, 4, 41; P.A. 95-160, S. 56, 69; 95-257, S. 39, 58; P.A. 96-139, S. 12, 13; 96-165, S. 3, 9; P.A. 02-89, S. 37, 38; 02-101, S. 7; 02-103, S. 28; P.A. 06-64, S. 21.)

Sec. 19a-669. (Formerly Sec. 19a-169). Determination and information re disproportionate share payments and emergency assistance to families. Section 19a-669 is repealed, effective July 1, 2011.

(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; P.A. 08-29, S. 2; P.A. 10-179, S. 123; P.A. 11-44, S. 178.)

Sec. 19a-670. (Formerly Sec. 19a-169a). Unit to report on review and financial stability of hospitals. The unit shall, by September first of each year, report the results of the unit's review of the hospitals' annual and twelve-month filings under sections 19a-644, 19a-649 and 19a-676 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.

(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; P.A. 08-29, S. 3; P.A. 11-44, S. 176; P.A. 18-91, S. 42.)

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); P.A. 08-29 amended Subsec. (a) by deleting reference to emergency assistance to families program and department's authority to make payments to hospitals for emergency assistance to needy families with dependent children, effective April 29, 2008; P.A. 11-44 deleted former Subsec. (a) re payments to short-term general hospital, former Subsec. (b)(1) to (5) and (7) to (10) re audits and amount of payments, former Subsec. (c) re exemptions and former Subsec. (d) re pay out of funds, and amended existing Subsec. (b)(6) by deleting Subdiv. (6) designator, replacing reporting date of June first with reporting date of September first, deleting date for initial report, and replacing “such audit” with “the office's review of the hospitals' annual and twelve-month filings under sections 19a-644, 19a-649 and 19a-676”, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 18-91 replaced references to office with references to unit, effective May 14, 2018.

Sec. 19a-670a. Application for federal approval by the Department of Social Services. Section 19a-670a is repealed, effective July 1, 2011.

(P.A. 97-2, S. 5, 8; P.A. 03-19, S. 49; P.A. 11-44, S. 178.)

Sec. 19a-670b. Construction with respect to children's general hospitals. Section 19a-670b is repealed, effective July 1, 2006.

(P.A. 97-2, S. 6, 8; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-2, S. 67, 69; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-9, S. 129–131; P.A. 02-89, S. 41; 02-101, S. 10; P.A. 06-64, S. 21.)

Secs. 19a-671 (Formerly Sec. 19a-169b) and 19a-671a. Calculation and determination of payments. Adjustment of overpayments for disproportionate share-medical emergency assistance by reducing Medicaid payments. Sections 19a-671 and 19a-671a are repealed, effective July 1, 2011.

(P.A. 94-9, S. 6, 41; P.A. 95-160, S. 51, 69; 95-257, S. 39, 58; 95-306, S. 5, 7; P.A. 96-139, S. 12, 13; 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; P.A. 11-44, S. 178.)

Sec. 19a-671b. Provisions for waiver of certain penalties and interest assessed pertaining to liability for taxes owed under chapter 211a or 219. Section 19a-671b is repealed, effective July 1, 2006.

(P.A. 95-160, S. 54, 69; 95-306, S. 3, 7; P.A. 96-139, S. 12, 13; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-2, S. 67, 69; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-9, S. 129–131; P.A. 06-64, S. 21.)

Secs. 19a-672 (Formerly Sec. 19a-169c) and 19a-672a. Use of medical assistance disproportionate share-emergency assistance account funds. Payments when short-term general hospital changes ownership during fiscal year. Sections 19a-672 and 19a-672a are repealed, effective July 1, 2011.

(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; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, S. 55; P.A. 06-64, S. 18; P.A. 07-149, S. 12; P.A. 11-44, S. 178.)

Sec. 19a-673. (Formerly Sec. 19a-169e). Collections by hospitals and entities owned by or affiliated with a hospital from uninsured patients. (a) As used in this section:

(1) “Affiliated with” means (A) employed by a hospital or health system, (B) under a professional services agreement with a hospital or health system that permits such hospital or health system to bill on behalf of such entity, or (C) a clinical faculty member of a medical school, as defined in section 33-182aa, who is affiliated with a hospital or health system in a manner that permits such hospital or health system to bill on behalf of such clinical faculty member.

(2) “Collection agent” has the same meaning as provided in section 19a-509b.

(3) “Cost of providing services” means a hospital's published charges at the time of billing, multiplied by the hospital's most recent relationship of costs to charges as taken from the hospital's most recently available annual financial filing with the unit.

(4) “Hospital” has the same meaning as provided in section 19a-490.

(5) “Owned by” means owned by a hospital or health system when billed under the hospital's tax identification number.

(6) “Poverty income guidelines” means the poverty income guidelines issued from time to time by the United States Department of Health and Human Services.

(7) “Uninsured patient” means any person who is liable for one or more hospital charges whose income is at or below two hundred fifty per cent of the poverty income guidelines who (A) has applied and been denied eligibility for any medical or health care coverage provided under the Medicaid program due to failure to satisfy income or other eligibility requirements, and (B) is not eligible for coverage for hospital services under the Medicare or CHAMPUS programs, or under any Medicaid or health insurance program of any other nation, state, territory or commonwealth, or under any other governmental or privately sponsored health or accident insurance or benefit program including, but not limited to, workers' compensation and awards, settlements or judgments arising from claims, suits or proceedings involving motor vehicle accidents or alleged negligence.

(b) No hospital or entity that is owned by or affiliated with such hospital that has provided health care to an uninsured patient may collect from the uninsured patient more than the cost of providing such health care.

(c) Each collection agent engaged in collecting a debt from a patient arising from health care provided at a hospital shall provide written notice to such patient as to whether the hospital deems the patient an insured patient or uninsured patient and the reasons for such determination.

(P.A. 94-9, S. 36, 41; P.A. 95-257, S. 12, 21, 58; June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-2, S. 96, 165; P.A. 03-266, S. 5; P.A. 04-76, S. 30; 04-257, S. 39; P.A. 10-179, S. 122; P.A. 11-44, S. 133; P.A. 18-91, S. 43; P.A. 21-129, S. 1.)

History: P.A. 94-9 effective April 1, 1994; P.A. 95-257 replaced Commissioner and Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Commissioner and Department of Public Health, effective July 1, 1995; Sec. 19a-169e transferred to Sec. 19a-673 in 1997; June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-2 made technical changes in Subdiv. (4) of Subsec. (a), effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 03-266 amended Subsec. (a)(1) by deleting “of an uninsured patient” and changing “audited financial statements” to “annual financial filing with the Office of Health Care Access”, amended Subsec. (a)(4) by adding “who is liable for one or more hospital charges” and changing income level from 200% to 250%, and added Subsec. (c) re written notice from collection agent; P.A. 04-76 amended Subsec. (a)(4)(A) by replacing reference to “general assistance program” with reference to “state-administered general assistance program”; P.A. 04-257 made a technical change in Subsec. (c), effective June 14, 2004; P.A. 10-179 replaced “Office of Health Care Access” with “office” in Subsec. (a)(1); P.A. 11-44 amended Subsec. (a)(4) to redefine “uninsured patient” by deleting reference to state-administered general assistance program, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 18-91 amended Subsec. (a)(1) by replacing “office” with “unit”, effective May 14, 2018; P.A. 21-129 amended Subsec. (a) by adding new Subdiv. (1) defining “affiliated with” and new Subdiv. (2) defining “collection agent”, redesignating existing Subdivs. (1) and (2) as Subdivs. (3) and (4), amending redesignated Subdiv. (4) by redefining “hospital”, adding Subdiv. (5) defining “owned by”, and redesignating existing Subdivs. (3) and (4) as Subdivs. (6) and (7), amended Subsec. (b) by adding reference to entity owned by or affiliated with a hospital and making technical changes and amended Subsec. (c) by making conforming and technical changes, effective October 1, 2022.

Sec. 19a-673a. Regulations re uniform debt collection standards for hospitals. The executive director of the Office of Health Strategy shall adopt regulations, in accordance with chapter 54, to establish uniform debt collection standards for hospitals.

(June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-4, S. 39, 58; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3, S. 19; P.A. 18-91, S. 44.)

History: June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-4 effective July 1, 2001; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3 substituted Commissioner of Public Health for Commissioner of Health Care Access, effective October 6, 2009; P.A. 18-91 replaced “Commissioner of Public Health” with “executive director of the Office of Health Strategy”, effective May 14, 2018.

Sec. 19a-673b. Initiation of debt collection activities. (a) As used in this section:

(1) “Affiliated with” means (A) employed by a hospital or health system, (B) under a professional services agreement with a hospital or health system that permits such hospital or health system to bill on behalf of such entity, or (C) a clinical faculty member of a medical school, as defined in section 33-182aa, who is affiliated with a hospital or health system in a manner that permits such hospital or health system to bill on behalf of such clinical faculty member.

(2) “Owned by” means owned by a hospital or health system when billed under the hospital's tax identification number.

(b) No hospital, as defined in section 19a-490, or entity that is owned by or affiliated with such hospital shall refer to a collection agent, as defined in section 19a-509b, or initiate an action against an individual patient or such patient's estate to collect fees arising from health care provided at a hospital or entity that is owned by or affiliated with such hospital on or after October 1, 2003, unless the hospital or entity that is owned by or affiliated with such hospital has determined that such individual patient is an uninsured patient, as defined in section 19a-673, who is ineligible for the hospital bed fund.

(c) On or after October 1, 2022, no hospital or entity that is owned by or affiliated with such hospital, as defined in section 19a-490, and no collection agent, as defined in section 19a-509b, that receives a referral from a hospital or entity that is owned by or affiliated with such hospital, shall:

(1) Report an individual patient to a credit rating agency, as defined in section 36a-695, for a period of one year beginning on the date that such patient first receives a bill for health care provided by the hospital or entity that is owned by or affiliated with such hospital to such patient on or after October 1, 2022;

(2) Initiate an action to foreclose a lien on an individual patient's primary residence if the lien was filed to secure payment for health care provided by the hospital or entity that is owned by or affiliated with such hospital to such patient on or after October 1, 2022; or

(3) Apply to a court for an execution against an individual patient's wages pursuant to section 52-361a, or otherwise seek to garnish such patient's wages, to collect payment for health care provided by the hospital or entity that is owned by or affiliated with such hospital to such patient on or after October 1, 2022, if such patient is eligible for the hospital bed fund.

(d) Nothing in subsection (b) or (c) of this section shall affect the ability of a hospital or entity that is owned by or affiliated with such hospital to initiate an action against an individual patient or such patient's estate to collect coinsurance, deductibles or fees arising from health care provided at a hospital or entity that is owned by or affiliated with such hospital where such coinsurance, deductibles or fees may be eligible for reimbursement through awards, settlements or judgments arising from claims, suits or proceedings. In addition, nothing in said subsections shall affect the ability of a hospital or entity that is owned by or affiliated with such hospital to initiate an action against an individual patient or such patient's estate where payment or reimbursement has been made, or likely is to be made, directly to the patient.

(P.A. 03-266, S. 3; P.A. 04-46, S. 1; 04-257, S. 88; P.A. 21-129, S. 2.)

History: P.A. 04-46 made technical changes and added Subdiv. (1) and (2) indicators in Subsec. (a), effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 04-257 made technical changes, effective June 14, 2004; P.A. 21-129 added new Subsec. (a) defining “affiliated with” and “owned by”, redesignated existing Subsec. (a) as Subsec. (b) and amended same by adding references to entity owned by or affiliated with a hospital and making technical changes, added Subsec. (c) prohibiting a hospital, an entity owned by or affiliated with a hospital or a collection agent from performing certain collection actions on or after October 1, 2022, redesignated existing Subsec. (b) as Subsec. (d) and amended same by adding references to entity owned by or affiliated with a hospital and making technical changes, effective October 1, 2022.

Sec. 19a-673c. Debt collection report. On or before March 1, 2004, and annually thereafter, each hospital shall file with the unit a debt collection report that includes (1) whether the hospital uses a collection agent, as defined in section 19a-509b, to assist with debt collection, (2) the name of any collection agent used, (3) the hospital's processes and policies for assigning a debt to a collection agent and for compensating such collection agent for services rendered, and (4) the recovery rate on accounts assigned to collection agents, exclusive of Medicare accounts, in the most recent hospital fiscal year.

(P.A. 03-266, S. 4; P.A. 10-179, S. 121; P.A. 18-91, S. 45.)

History: P.A. 10-179 replaced “Office of Health Care Access” with “office”; P.A. 18-91 replaced “office” with “unit”, effective May 14, 2018.

Sec. 19a-673d. Cessation of collection efforts upon debtor's eligibility for bed funds or other services. (a) As used in this section:

(1) “Affiliated with” means (A) employed by a hospital or health system, (B) under a professional services agreement with a hospital or health system that permits such hospital or health system to bill on behalf of such entity, or (C) a clinical faculty member of a medical school, as defined in section 33-182aa, who is affiliated with a hospital or health system in a manner that permits such hospital or health system to bill on behalf of such clinical faculty member.

(2) “Owned by” means owned by a hospital or health system when billed under the hospital's tax identification number.

(b) If, at any point in the debt collection process, whether before or after the entry of judgment, a hospital or entity that is owned by or affiliated with such hospital, as defined in section 19a-490, or a collection agent, as defined in section 19a-509b, becomes aware that a debtor from whom the hospital or entity that is owned by or affiliated with such hospital is seeking payment for health care rendered receives information that the debtor is eligible for hospital bed funds, free or reduced price hospital services or any other program which would result in the elimination of liability for the debt or reduction in the amount of such liability, such hospital or entity that is owned by or affiliated with such hospital or collection agent shall promptly discontinue all collection efforts against such debtor for such health care and refer the collection file for such health care to such hospital or entity that is owned by or affiliated with such hospital until such hospital or entity determines whether such debtor is eligible for such elimination or reduction. Such collection efforts shall not resume until such hospital or entity makes such determination.

(P.A. 03-266, S. 6; P.A. 21-129, S. 3.)

History: P.A. 21-129 added new Subsec. (a) defining “affiliated with” and “owned by”, designated existing provisions as Subsec. (b) and amended same by adding references to entity owned by or affiliated with a hospital and to collection agent, deleting references to consumer collection agency, attorney representing hospital and employee or agent of hospital and making technical and conforming changes, effective October 1, 2022.

Secs. 19a-674 and 19a-675. (Formerly Secs. 19a-170a and 19a-170b). Net revenue limit. Filings for partial or detailed budget review; hearings. Sections 19a-674 and 19a-675 are repealed, effective July 1, 2002.

(P.A. 94-9, S. 27, 28, 41; P.A. 95-160, S. 58, 69; 95-257, S. 39, 58; P.A. 96-139, S. 12, 13; P.A. 02-101, S. 20.)

Sec. 19a-676. (Formerly Sec. 19a-170c). Compliance with authorized revenue limits. On or before March thirty-first of each year, for the preceding fiscal year, each hospital shall submit to the unit, in the form and manner prescribed by the unit, the data specified in regulations adopted by the executive director in accordance with chapter 54, the hospital's verification of net revenue required under section 19a-649 and any other data required by the unit, including hospital budget system data for the hospital's twelve months' actual filing requirements.

(P.A. 94-9, S. 29, 41; 94-174, S. 11, 12; P.A. 95-160, S. 59, 69; 95-257, S. 39, 58; P.A. 96-139, S. 12, 13; 96-238, S. 1, 2, 25; P.A. 05-151, S. 11; P.A. 06-64, S. 19; P.A. 12-170, S. 7; P.A. 18-91, S. 46.)

History: P.A. 94-9 effective April 1, 1994; P.A. 94-174 amended Subsecs. (a) and (b) to eliminate hospitals' compliance payments for hospital fiscal years 1993 and 1994 and for January 1, 1995, to September 1, 1995, and subsequent fiscal years if a hospital exceeds its authorized net revenue limit, the excess shall be deducted from its net revenue limit in the next fiscal year or may be deducted from the hospital's disproportionate share-emergency assistance payments, effective June 6, 1994; P.A. 95-160 amended Subsecs. (a) and (b) to allow the Department of Social Services, in consultation with the Office of Policy and Management, to determine whether compliance shall be (1) deducted from the subsequent year's net revenue limit, (2) paid into the general fund or (3) deducted from payments to the hospital's Medicaid account, (2) and (3) being new Subdivs., 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. 96-139 changed effective date of P.A. 95-160 but without affecting this section; P.A. 96-238 added Subsec. (b) exemption to making payments on an equal quarterly basis commencing fiscal year October 1, 1995, effective July 1, 1996, and further amended section to eliminate all revenue-limit compliance requirements except for data submission, effective October 1, 1997; Sec. 19a-170c transferred to Sec. 19a-676 in 1997; P.A. 05-151 required hospitals to submit, by February twenty-eighth of each year, audit and other data, including the “twelve months' actual filing requirements” and authorized commissioner to extend the deadline for submission of such audit and other data, effective July 1, 2005; P.A. 06-64 changed submittal date from February twenty-eighth to March thirty-first, changed “audit” to “independent audit” and deleted provision allowing Office of Health Care Access to extend submittal deadline, effective July 1, 2006; P.A. 12-170 replaced provision requiring each hospital to submit an independent audit with provision requiring submission of the hospital's verification of net revenue; P.A. 18-91 replaced “office” with “unit” and replaced “commissioner” with “executive director”, effective May 14, 2018.

Sec. 19a-676a. Termination of net revenue compliance payments. Section 19a-676a is repealed, effective July 1, 2002.

(P.A. 97-2, S. 1, 8; P.A. 02-89, S. 90; 02-101, S. 20.)

Sec. 19a-677. (Formerly Sec. 19a-170d). Computation of relative cost of hospitals. Section 19a-677 is repealed, effective July 1, 2006.

(P.A. 94-9, S. 30, 41; P.A. 95-257, S. 39, 58; P.A. 06-64, S. 21.)

Sec. 19a-678. (Formerly Sec. 19a-170e). Inflation factor. Section 19a-678 is repealed, effective July 1, 2002.

(P.A. 94-9, S. 31, 41; P.A. 95-257, S. 39, 58; P.A. 02-101, S. 20.)

Sec. 19a-679. (Formerly Sec. 19a-170f). Computation of equivalent discharges. Inpatient and outpatient gross revenues and units of service. Section 19a-679 is repealed, effective July 1, 2006.

(P.A. 94-9, S. 33, 41; P.A. 95-257, S. 39, 58; P.A. 06-64, S. 21.)

Sec. 19a-680. (Formerly Sec. 19a-170g). Net revenue limit interim adjustment. Section 19a-680 is repealed, effective July 1, 2002.

(P.A. 94-9, S. 32, 41; P.A. 02-101, S. 20.)

Sec. 19a-681. Definitions. Filing of current pricemaster. Charges to be in accordance with detailed schedule of charges on file. Penalty. (a) For purposes of this section: (1) “Detailed patient bill” means a patient billing statement that includes, in each line item, the hospital's current pricemaster code, a description of the charge and the billed amount; and (2) “pricemaster” means a detailed schedule of hospital charges.

(b) Each hospital shall file with the unit its current pricemaster which shall include each charge in its detailed schedule of charges.

(c) Upon the request of the Office of Health Strategy, established under section 19a-754a, or a patient, a hospital shall provide to the office or the patient a detailed patient bill. If the billing detail by line item on a detailed patient bill does not agree with the detailed schedule of charges on file with the unit for the date of service specified on the bill, the hospital shall be subject to a civil penalty of five hundred dollars per occurrence payable to the state not later than fourteen days after the date of notification. The penalty shall be imposed in accordance with section 19a-653. The unit may issue an order requiring such hospital, not later than fourteen days after the date of notification of an overcharge to a patient, to adjust the bill to be consistent with the detailed schedule of charges on file with the unit for the date of service specified on the detailed patient bill.

(P.A. 95-160, S. 60, 69; 95-257, S. 39, 58; P.A. 96-139, S. 12, 13; P.A. 05-151, S. 12; P.A. 08-14, S. 6; P.A. 10-179, S. 117; P.A. 13-234, S. 149; P.A. 18-91, S. 47.)

History: P.A. 95-160, S. 60 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. 96-139 changed effective date of P.A. 95-160 but without affecting this section; P.A. 05-151 amended Subsec. (a) by eliminating requirement that taxes be included in the price of each item listed on the pricemaster and requiring filing of current pricemaster which shall include a detailed schedule of charges and made technical changes in Subsec. (b), effective July 1, 2005; P.A. 08-14 amended Subsec. (b) by substituting 14 days for 10 business days and making technical changes, effective July 1, 2008; P.A. 10-179 amended Subsec. (b) by deleting “subsections (b) to (e), inclusive, of” re Sec. 19a-653; P.A. 13-234 added new Subsec. (a) re definitions of “detailed patient bill” and “pricemaster”, redesignated existing Subsec. (a) as Subsec. (b), and redesignated existing Subsec. (b) as Subsec. (c) and amended same by adding provision requiring hospital to provide detailed patient bill upon request of department or a patient, substituting “detailed patient bill” for “patient bill” and making a technical change; P.A. 18-91 amended Subsecs. (b) and (c) by replacing “office” with “unit”, and further amended Subsec. (c) by replacing references to Department of Public Health with references to Office of Health Strategy, effective May 14, 2018.

Sec. 19a-682. Additional billing for services rendered from November 1, 1994, through June 1, 1995. Section 19a-682 is repealed, effective July 1, 2005.

(P.A. 95-160, S. 61, 69; P.A. 96-139, S. 12, 13; 96-238, S. 3, 25; P.A. 05-151, S. 13.)

Sec. 19a-683. Reconciliation account. Section 19a-683 is repealed, effective July 1, 2011.

(P.A. 95-160, S. 62, 69; P.A. 96-139, S. 12, 13; P.A. 02-89, S. 44; P.A. 06-64, S. 20; P.A. 11-44, S. 178.)

Secs. 19a-684 to 19a-689. Reserved for future use.