S 0650 Joint Resolution, By Senate Medical Affairs
 A Joint Resolution to approve regulations of the Department of Health and
 Environmental Control, relating to certification of need for health facilities
 and services, designated as Regulation Document Number 1597, pursuant to the
 provisions of Article 1, Chapter 23, Title 1 of the 1976 Code.

   04/07/93  Senate Introduced, read first time, placed on calendar
                     without reference SJ-6
   04/08/93  Senate Read second time SJ-86
   04/08/93  Senate Unanimous consent for third reading on next
                     legislative day SJ-86
   04/09/93  Senate Read third time and sent to House SJ-2
   04/13/93  House  Introduced and read first time HJ-25
   04/13/93  House  Referred to Committee on Medical, Military,
                     Public and Municipal Affairs HJ-25

April 7, 1993

S. 650

S. Printed 4/7/93--S.

Read the first time April 7, 1993.

A JOINT RESOLUTION

TO APPROVE REGULATIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL, RELATING TO CERTIFICATION OF NEED FOR HEALTH FACILITIES AND SERVICES, DESIGNATED AS REGULATION DOCUMENT NUMBER 1597, PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF ARTICLE 1, CHAPTER 23, TITLE 1 OF THE 1976 CODE.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION 1. The regulations of the Department of Health and Environmental Control, relating to Certification of Need for Health Facilities and Services, designated as Regulation Document Number 1597, and submitted to the General Assembly pursuant to the provisions of Article 1, Chapter 23, Title 1 of the 1976 Code, are approved.

SECTION 2. This joint resolution takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

The proposed amendment to the regulations will broaden the definition of "affected persons;" raise the application fee for Certification of Need applications; remove the exemption for mobile technology; require review of the purchase of major medical equipment by any person; require most replacement equipment to be reviewed; require the State Plan to contain a general statement as to the project review criteria considered most important in evaluating Certificate of Need applications for each type of facility, service and equipment, including a finding as to whether the benefits of improved accessibility to each such type of facility, service and equipment may out weigh the adverse affects caused by the duplication of any existing facility, service or equipment; requires the State Health Planning Committee to approve the State Health Plan prior to submission of the Plan to the Board of Health and Environmental Control for use in the Certification of Need program; requires the Department staff to notify the applicant of the relative importance of the project review criteria to be used in reviewing the application; upon public notice by the applicant that he proposed to submit an application, prohibits any person to communicate with the Board as to the merits of the application, or prohibits the Board or Board-appointed hearing officer to communicate with an applicant or his representative; changes the reconsideration process from a public hearing process to a staff reconsideration process; limits issues at the contested case hearing to those presented or considered during the staff review; extends the timeframe for major hospital projects to one year from six months; requires the Department to monitor projects after they have been implemented for consistency with the Certificate of Need application; and other technical amendments to clarify and correct existing regulations.