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| THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA |
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| HOUSE BILL |
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| INTRODUCED BY REICHLEY, CLYMER, CUTLER, EVERETT, GILLESPIE, GODSHALL, GROVE, HARHART, HESS, LONGIETTI, MILLER AND WATSON, MAY 23, 2011 |
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| REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, MAY 23, 2011 |
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| AN ACT |
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1 | Amending the act of July 19, 1979 (P.L.130, No.48), entitled "An |
2 | act relating to health care; prescribing the powers and |
3 | duties of the Department of Health; establishing and |
4 | providing the powers and duties of the State Health |
5 | Coordinating Council, health systems agencies and Health Care |
6 | Policy Board in the Department of Health, and State Health |
7 | Facility Hearing Board in the Department of Justice; |
8 | providing for certification of need of health care providers |
9 | and prescribing penalties," in licensing of health care |
10 | facilities, further providing for definitions, for licensure, |
11 | for term and content of license and for reliance on |
12 | accrediting agencies and Federal Government. |
13 | The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania |
14 | hereby enacts as follows: |
15 | Section 1. The definition of "health care facility" in |
16 | section 802.1 of the act of July 19, 1979 (P.L.130, No.48), |
17 | known as the Health Care Facilities Act, amended July 7, 2006 |
18 | (P.L.334, No.69), is amended and the section is amended by |
19 | adding definitions to read: |
20 | Section 802.1. Definitions. |
21 | The following words and phrases when used in this chapter |
22 | shall have, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the |
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1 | meanings given them in this section: |
2 | * * * |
3 | "Health care facility." [For purposes of Chapter 8, a health |
4 | care facility includes, but is not limited to, a general, |
5 | chronic disease or other type of hospital, a home health care |
6 | agency, a home care agency, a hospice, a long-term care nursing |
7 | facility, cancer treatment centers using radiation therapy on an |
8 | ambulatory basis, an ambulatory surgical facility, a birth |
9 | center regardless of whether such health care facility is |
10 | operated for profit, nonprofit or by an agency of the |
11 | Commonwealth or local government. The department shall have the |
12 | authority to license other health care facilities as may be |
13 | necessary due to emergence of new modes of health care. When the |
14 | department so finds, it shall publish its intention to license a |
15 | particular type of health care facility in the Pennsylvania |
16 | Bulletin in accordance with the act of June 25, 1982 (P.L.633, |
17 | No.181), known as the "Regulatory Review Act." The term health |
18 | care facility shall not include an office used primarily for the |
19 | private practice of a health care practitioner, nor a program |
20 | which renders treatment or care for drug or alcohol abuse or |
21 | dependence unless located within a health facility, nor a |
22 | facility providing treatment solely on the basis of prayer or |
23 | spiritual means. The term health care facility shall not apply |
24 | to a facility which is conducted by a religious organization for |
25 | the purpose of providing health care services exclusively to |
26 | clergymen or other persons in a religious profession who are |
27 | members of a religious denomination.] For the purposes of this |
28 | act, the term shall include hospitals, cancer treatment centers |
29 | using radiation therapy on an ambulatory basis, ambulatory |
30 | surgical facilities, specialized health care services and |
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1 | outpatient health care facilities regardless of whether the |
2 | health care facility is operated for profit, nonprofit or by an |
3 | agency of the Commonwealth or local government. The term shall |
4 | not include an office used primarily for the private practice of |
5 | a health care practitioner nor a program which renders treatment |
6 | or care for drug or alcohol abuse or dependence unless located |
7 | within a health care facility, nor a facility providing |
8 | treatment solely on the basis of prayer or spiritual means. The |
9 | term shall not apply to a facility which is conducted by a |
10 | religious organization for the purpose of providing health care |
11 | services exclusively to the clergymen or other persons in a |
12 | religious profession who are members of a religious |
13 | denomination. |
14 | * * * |
15 | "Outpatient health care facility." For the purposes of this |
16 | act, the term shall be defined as a facility, whether fixed or |
17 | mobile, providing diagnostic, therapeutic, treatment or |
18 | rehabilitation services on an outpatient basis or to individual |
19 | patients for less than a 24-hour consecutive period, by or under |
20 | the supervision of physicians or other clinical staff in |
21 | accordance with their scope of practice. The term does not |
22 | include an office used primarily for the private practice of a |
23 | health care practitioner, but does include clinics and group |
24 | practice facilities providing diagnostic and treatment services |
25 | other than primary care in a specific specialized area of |
26 | medicine. Outpatient health care services provided under the |
27 | license of a hospital are excluded from this definition. |
28 | Outpatient services on the site of a hospital but not provided |
29 | under the hospital license are included. |
30 | "Outpatient health care services." The term includes |
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1 | emergency services, cardiac catheterization, cancer treatment |
2 | services involving radiation therapy, imaging services, pain |
3 | management services, burn center services, ambulatory surgery |
4 | services, dialysis services or any other clinical service deemed |
5 | by the Department of Health and published in the Pennsylvania |
6 | Bulletin to be subject to this act. |
7 | "Physical status." The American Society of Anesthesiologists |
8 | Physical Status Classification System. |
9 | "Specialized health care services." Certain diagnostic, |
10 | treatment or rehabilitative services which involve highly |
11 | technical medical procedures and require extraordinary expertise |
12 | and resources to be effective and safe as determined by the |
13 | Department of Health. |
14 | Section 2. Section 806(a), (b) and (c) of the act, amended |
15 | December 18, 1992 (P.L.1602, No.179) and October 16, 1998 |
16 | (P.L.777, No.95), are amended and the section is amended by |
17 | adding subsections to read: |
18 | Section 806. Licensure. |
19 | (a) License required.--No person shall maintain or operate |
20 | or hold itself out to be a health care facility or provide |
21 | specialized services without first having obtained a license |
22 | [therefor] issued by the department. [No health care facility |
23 | can be a provider of medical assistance services unless it is |
24 | licensed by the department and certified as a medical assistance |
25 | provider.]: |
26 | (1) Facilities or specialized health care services |
27 | accredited by a national accrediting organization approved by |
28 | the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) shall be |
29 | deemed to meet licensure requirements and shall be issued a |
30 | license by the department. |
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1 | (2) Facilities not accredited by a CMS-approved national |
2 | accrediting organization shall be required to meet the |
3 | applicable Medicare Conditions of Participation or Medicare |
4 | Conditions of Coverage. |
5 | (3) Facilities or specialized health care services that |
6 | are not accredited and do not participate in Medicare shall |
7 | be required to comply with regulations adopted by the |
8 | department. |
9 | (a.1) Additional requirements.--Specific facilities or |
10 | specialized health care services shall be required, as a |
11 | condition of licensure, to do the following: |
12 | (1) Class A ambulatory surgical facilities (ASF) shall |
13 | meet the following criteria: |
14 | (i) A license is not required for the operation of a |
15 | Class A ASF; however, the facility shall be accredited by |
16 | the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care, |
17 | the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Health Care |
18 | Organizations, the American Association for the |
19 | Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgical Facilities or |
20 | another nationally recognized accrediting organization |
21 | acknowledged by the Medicare program in order to be |
22 | identified as providing ambulatory service. |
23 | (ii) A Class A ASF shall register with the |
24 | department and shall forward a copy of its accreditation |
25 | survey to the department. |
26 | (iii) The Class A ASF must provide the following |
27 | information with the registration form and update the |
28 | department on an annual basis: |
29 | (A) A list of operative procedures proposed to |
30 | be performed at the facility and the ages of the |
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1 | patients to be served. |
2 | (B) The type of anesthetic proposed to be used |
3 | for each operative procedure. |
4 | (C) The facility's current accreditation survey |
5 | and the designation of accreditation status by the |
6 | nationally recognized accrediting organization. |
7 | (D) Other information the department deems |
8 | necessary for registration. |
9 | (2) A license shall be obtained to operate a |
10 | freestanding Class B or Class C ASF. |
11 | (3) An ASF license shall designate the licensed facility |
12 | as either a Class B or Class C ASF. |
13 | (4) An applicant for a license to operate an ASF shall |
14 | request licensure by the department by means of a written |
15 | communication which sets forth: |
16 | (i) A list of operative procedures proposed to be |
17 | performed at the facility and the ages of the patients to |
18 | be served. |
19 | (ii) The highest level of anesthetic proposed to be |
20 | used for each proposed operative procedure. |
21 | (iii) The highest physical status proposed to |
22 | receive ambulatory surgery at the facility. |
23 | (iv) A statement from the applicant which may be |
24 | accompanied by a written opinion from a nationally |
25 | recognized accrediting body stating the most appropriate |
26 | facility class. |
27 | (5) If a facility desires to change its classification |
28 | level from a Class B enterprise to a Class C enterprise, the |
29 | facility shall request and obtain a license prior to |
30 | providing services to patients with a physical status of ASF |
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1 | Class III or level III. |
2 | (6) The department may enter and inspect an ASF Class A, |
3 | B or C, at any time, announced or unannounced, to investigate |
4 | any complaints. The department may mandate closure of an ASF |
5 | that the department determines to be providing substandard |
6 | care or for any other lawful reason. |
7 | (7) Criteria for ambulatory surgery: |
8 | (i) Ambulatory surgical procedures are limited to |
9 | those procedures that do not exceed a total of four hours |
10 | of operating time and four hours of directly supervised |
11 | recovery. |
12 | (ii) The time limits may be exceeded only if the |
13 | patient's condition demands care or recovery beyond the |
14 | four-hour limit and the need for additional time could |
15 | not have been anticipated prior to surgery. |
16 | (iii) The surgical procedure shall not require more |
17 | than local or regional anesthesia or less than four hours |
18 | of general anesthesia. |
19 | (iv) The procedure may not be of a type that is |
20 | associated with the risk of extreme blood loss or |
21 | directly involves major blood vessels. |
22 | (v) The surgery may not require major or prolonged |
23 | invasion of body cavities. |
24 | (vi) The procedure may not be an emergency or be |
25 | life threatening in nature unless no hospitals are |
26 | available for the procedure and the need for surgery |
27 | could not have been anticipated. |
28 | (vii) The practitioner performing the surgery is |
29 | responsible for obtaining the informed consent of the |
30 | patient for disclosure to the patient of the risks, |
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1 | benefits and alternatives associated with the anesthesia |
2 | which will be administered, the procedure that will be |
3 | performed and the comparative risks, benefits and |
4 | alternatives to performance of the procedure in the ASF. |
5 | (viii) The department may issue interpretations of |
6 | this subsection, which apply to the question of whether |
7 | the performance of certain surgical procedures will |
8 | require licensure as an ASF. |
9 | (ix) Interpretations adopted by the department shall |
10 | be submitted to the Legislative Reference Bureau for |
11 | publication in the Pennsylvania Bulletin and the |
12 | Pennsylvania Code as a statement of policy of the |
13 | department. |
14 | (a.2) Pediatric patients.--The following criteria must be |
15 | met to perform ambulatory surgery on patients that are under 18 |
16 | years of age: |
17 | (1) A child under six months of age shall not be treated |
18 | in an ASF. |
19 | (2) The medical record shall include documentation that |
20 | the child's primary care provider was notified by the surgeon |
21 | in advance of the performance of a procedure in an ASF and |
22 | that an opinion was sought from the primary care provider |
23 | regarding the appropriateness of the use of an ASF for the |
24 | proposed procedure. When an opinion from the child's primary |
25 | care provider is not obtainable, the medical record shall |
26 | include documentation which explains why an opinion could not |
27 | be obtained. |
28 | (3) Anesthesia services shall be provided by an |
29 | anesthesiologist who is a graduate of an anesthesiology |
30 | residency program accredited by the Accreditation Council for |
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1 | Graduate Medical Education or its equivalent or by a |
2 | certified registered nurse anesthetist trained in pediatric |
3 | anesthesia either of whom shall have documented demonstrated |
4 | historical and continuous competence in the care of these |
5 | patients. |
6 | (4) The practitioner performing the surgery shall be |
7 | either board certified by or have obtained preboard |
8 | certification status with the American Board of Medical |
9 | Specialties, the American Osteopathic Board of Surgery, the |
10 | American Board of Podiatric Surgery or the American Board of |
11 | Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. |
12 | (5) A medical professional who has successfully |
13 | completed a course in advanced pediatric life support offered |
14 | by the American Academy of Pediatrics and either the American |
15 | College of Emergency Physicians or the American Heart |
16 | Association shall be present in the facility. |
17 | (a.3) Specialized health care services.--The department |
18 | shall annually determine the types of specialized health care |
19 | services to be licensed under the provisions of this chapter: |
20 | (1) The department shall base its determination on the |
21 | following factors: |
22 | (i) Whether the quality of the services to be |
23 | offered is likely to be compromised through insufficient |
24 | volumes or utilization. |
25 | (ii) The cost and specialized expertise necessary |
26 | for safe and effective care. |
27 | (iii) Whether the service dependent is upon the |
28 | availability of scarce natural resources such as human |
29 | organs. |
30 | (iv) Whether the service involves the use of new |
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1 | medical technology. |
2 | (v) Consideration shall be given to the availability |
3 | and accessibility of specialized health care services to |
4 | accommodate populations in this Commonwealth. |
5 | (2) Exceptions may be granted by the department to |
6 | accommodate populations in this Commonwealth based on |
7 | availability and accessibility of health care services. |
8 | (b) Development of regulations.--In developing rules and |
9 | regulations for licensure of facilities or specialized health |
10 | care services not accredited and who do not participate in |
11 | Medicare, the department shall [take] adopt reasonable rules and |
12 | regulations, taking into consideration [Federal certification |
13 | standards and the standards of other third party payors for |
14 | health care services and such nationally recognized accrediting |
15 | agencies as the department may find appropriate.] applicable |
16 | standards of nationally recognized accrediting organizations |
17 | applicable to the service or setting. At a minimum, the |
18 | regulations shall address the following areas: |
19 | (1) The care of patients. |
20 | (2) The medical supervision of patients. |
21 | (3) The physical environment. |
22 | (4) Infection control. |
23 | (5) Quality assurance. |
24 | (6) Transfer protocols or procedures with receiving |
25 | facilities, where applicable. |
26 | (7) Sanitation. |
27 | (8) Safety. |
28 | (9) Dietary matters. |
29 | (c) Fire and emergency standards.--Notwithstanding any other |
30 | provision of law other than standards required for Federal |
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1 | certification by that type of health care facility in the |
2 | Medicare or Medicaid program[, no]: |
3 | (1) No health care facility shall be required to satisfy |
4 | any regulation relating to fire or similar emergency |
5 | circumstance more stringent than those required [of hospitals |
6 | by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health |
7 | Organizations or such nationally recognized accrediting |
8 | agencies as the department may find appropriate, and the |
9 | department shall adopt and enforce the appropriate] by the |
10 | accrediting organization, and the department shall adopt and |
11 | enforce these standards. |
12 | (2) Nonaccredited, non-Medicare participating facilities |
13 | shall comply with the Life Safety Code standards for medical |
14 | facilities defined by the National Fire Protection |
15 | Association. |
16 | * * * |
17 | Section 3. Sections 809(a) and (d) and 810(a) of the act, |
18 | amended December 18, 1992 (P.L.1602, No.179), are amended to |
19 | read: |
20 | Section 809. Term and content of license. |
21 | (a) Contents.--All licenses issued by the department under |
22 | this chapter shall: |
23 | (1) be issued for a specified length of time as follows, |
24 | including the provision of section 804(b): |
25 | (i) all accredited health care facilities [other |
26 | than hospitals for a period of one year, and for |
27 | hospitals for a period of two years], for the duration of |
28 | the accreditation cycle in good standing with the |
29 | expiration date to be the last day of the month in which |
30 | license is issued; |
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1 | (ii) provisional licenses for the length of time to |
2 | be determined by the department upon issuance of the |
3 | provisional license; and |
4 | (iii) all nonaccredited facilities' time frames |
5 | shall correspond to the time frames for accredited |
6 | facilities; |
7 | (2) be on a form prescribed by the department; |
8 | (3) not be transferable except upon prior written |
9 | approval of the department; |
10 | (4) be issued only to the health care provider and for |
11 | the health care facility [or], facilities or specialized |
12 | health care services named in the application; |
13 | (5) specify the maximum number of beds, if any, to be |
14 | used for the care of patients in the facility at any one |
15 | time; and |
16 | (6) specify limitations which have been placed on the |
17 | facility. |
18 | * * * |
19 | (d) Use of beds in excess of maximum.--Except in case of |
20 | [extreme emergency] natural disasters, catastrophes, acts of |
21 | bio-terrorism, epidemics or other emergencies, no license shall |
22 | permit the use of beds for inpatient use in the licensed |
23 | facility in excess of the maximum number set forth in the |
24 | license [without first obtaining written permission from the |
25 | department: Provided, That during the period of a license, a |
26 | health care facility may without the prior approval of the |
27 | department increase the total number of beds by not more than |
28 | ten beds or 10% of the total bed capacity, whichever is less]. |
29 | Section 810. Reliance on accrediting agencies and Federal |
30 | Government. |
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1 | (a) Reports of other agencies.--After a provider has been |
2 | licensed or approved to operate a health care facility or |
3 | provide specialized health care services for at least [two] |
4 | three years under this or prior acts, none of which has been |
5 | pursuant to a provisional license, the department [may] shall |
6 | rely on the reports of the Federal Government or nationally |
7 | recognized accrediting [agencies to the extent those standards |
8 | are determined by the department to be similar to regulations of |
9 | the department and if] agencies' current applicable standards as |
10 | long as the provider agrees to: |
11 | (1) direct the agency or government to provide a copy of |
12 | its findings to the department; and |
13 | (2) permit the department to inspect those areas or |
14 | programs of the health care facility [not covered by the |
15 | agency or government inspection or] where the agency or |
16 | government report discloses more than a minimal violation of |
17 | [department regulations] current standards. |
18 | * * * |
19 | Section 4. This act shall take effect in 60 days. |
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