§ 23-15-6. Procedures for review. (a) The state agency, with the advice of the health services council, and in accordance with the Administrative Procedures Act, chapter 35 of title 42, after public hearing pursuant to reasonable notice, which notice shall include affected persons, shall promulgate appropriate rules and regulations that may be designated to further the accomplishment of the purposes of this chapter including the formulation of procedures that may be particularly necessary for the conduct on reviews of particular types of new institutional health services or new health care equipment.

(b) Review procedures promulgated in accordance with subsection (a) shall include at least the following, except that substitute procedures for the conduct of expeditious and accelerated reviews may be promulgated by the state agency in accordance with § 23-15-5:

(1) Provision that the state agency established a process requiring potential applicants to file a detailed letter of intent to submit an application at least forty-five (45) days prior to the submission of an application and that the state agency shall undertake reviews in a timely fashion no less often than twice a year and give written notification to affected persons of the beginning of the review including the proposed schedule for the review, the period within which a public meeting may be held, and the manner by which notification will be provided of the time and place of any public meeting so held.

(2) Provision that no more than one hundred and twenty (120) days shall elapse between initial notification of affected persons and the final decision of the state agency.

(3) Provision that, if the state agency fails to act upon an application within the applicable period established in subsection (b)(2), the applicant may apply to the superior court of Providence County to require the state agency to act upon the application.

(4) Provision for review and comment by the health services council and any affected person, including but not limited to those parties defined in § 23-15-2(1) and the department of business regulation, the department of behavioral healthcare, developmental disabilities and hospitals, the department of human services, health maintenance organizations, and the state professional standards review organization, on every application for the determination of need.

(5) Provision that a public meeting may be held during the course of the state agency review at which any person may have the opportunity to present testimony. Procedures for the conduct of the public meeting shall be established in rules and regulations promulgated by the state agency with the advice of the health services council.

(6)(i) Provision for issuance of a written decision by the state agency which shall be based upon the findings and recommendations of the health services council unless the state agency shall afford written justification for variance from that decision.

(ii) In the case of any proposed new institutional health service for the provision of health services to inpatients, a state agency shall not make a finding that the proposed new institutional health service is needed, unless it makes written findings as to:

(A) The efficiency and appropriateness of the use of existing inpatient facilities providing inpatient services similar to those proposed;

(B) The capital and operating costs (and their potential impact on patient charges), efficiency, and appropriateness of the proposed new institutional health services; and

(C) Makes each of the following findings in writing:

(I) That superior alternatives to inpatient services in terms of cost, efficiency, and appropriateness do not exist and that the development of alternatives is not practicable;

(II) That, in the case of new construction, alternatives to new construction (e.g., modernization or sharing arrangements) have been considered and implemented to the maximum extent practicable;

(III) That patients will experience serious problems in terms of costs, availability, or accessibility, or any other problems that may be identified by the state agency, in obtaining inpatient care of the type proposed in the absence of the proposed new service; and

(IV) That, in the case of a proposal for the addition of beds for the provision of skilled nursing or intermediate care, the relationship of the addition to the plans of other agencies of the state responsible for providing and financing long-term care (including home health services) has been considered.

(7) Provision for the distribution of the decision of the state agency, including its findings and recommendations, to the applicant and to affected persons.

(8) Provision that the state agency may approve or disapprove in whole or in part any application as submitted, but that the parties may mutually agree to a modification of any element of an application as submitted, without requiring resubmission of the application.

(9)(i) Provision that any person affected may request in writing reconsideration of a state agency decision if the person:

(A) Presents significant relevant information not previously considered by the state agency;

(B) Demonstrates that there have been significant changes in factors or circumstances relied upon by the state agency in reaching its decision;

(C) Demonstrates that the state agency has materially failed to follow its adopted procedures in reaching its decision; or

(D) Provides any other basis for reconsideration that the state agency may have determined by regulation to constitute good cause.

(ii) Procedures for reconsideration shall be established in regulations promulgated by the state agency with the advice of the health services council.

(10) Provision that upon the request of any affected person, the decision of the state agency to issue, deny, or withdraw a certificate of need or to grant or deny an exemption shall be administratively reviewed under an appeals mechanism provided for in the rules and regulations of the state agency, with the review to be conducted by a hearing officer appointed by the director of health. The procedures for judicial review shall be in accordance with the provisions of § 42-35-15.

(c) The state agency shall publish at least annually a report of reviews of new institutional health services and new health care equipment conducted, together with the findings and decisions rendered in the course of the reviews. The reports shall be published on or about February 1 of each year and shall contain evaluations of the prior year's statutory changes where feasible.

(d) All applications reviewed by the state agency and all written materials pertinent to state agency review, including minutes of all health services council meetings, shall be accessible to the public upon request.

(e) In the case or review of proposals by health care facilities who by contractual agreement, chapter 19 of title 27, or other statute are required to adhere to an annual schedule of budget or reimbursement determination to which the state is a party, the state budget office, the office of the health insurance commissioner, and hospital service corporations organized under chapter 19 of title 27 shall forward to the health services council within forty-five (45) days of the initiation of the review of the proposals by the health services council under § 23-15-4(f)(1):

(1) A cost impact analysis of each proposal which analysis shall include, but not be limited to, consideration of increases in operating expenses, per diem rates, health care insurance premiums, and public expenditures; and

(2) Comments on acceptable interest rates and minimum equity contributions and/or maximum debt to be incurred in financing needed proposals.

(f) The health services council shall not make a recommendation to the state agency that a proposal be approved unless it is found that the proposal is affordable to the people of the state. In determining whether or not a proposal is affordable, the health service council shall consider the condition of the state's economy, the statements of authorities and/or parties affected by the proposals, and any other factors that it may deem appropriate.

History of Section. (P.L. 1978, ch. 269, § 3; G.L. 1956, § 23-17-6; P.L. 1979, ch. 39, § 1; G.L. 1956, § 23-15-6; P.L. 1980, ch. 80, § 1; P.L. 1984, ch. 4, § 2; P.L. 1984, ch. 383, § 1; P.L. 1986, ch. 363, § 1; P.L. 1987, ch. 395, § 1; P.L. 1988, ch. 213, § 1; P.L. 1990, ch. 132, § 1; P.L. 1991, ch. 290, § 1; P.L. 1994, ch. 392, § 2; P.L. 1996, ch. 433, § 1; P.L. 2006, ch. 336, § 1; P.L. 2006, ch. 337, § 1.)