50.52 Licensing procedure and requirements.

(1) No person may be required to obtain licensure as a rural medical center, except that no person may conduct, maintain, operate or permit to be conducted, maintained or operated health care services as a rural medical center unless the rural medical center is licensed by the department.

(2) The department shall issue a provisional license or a regular license as a rural medical center to an applicant if all of the following are first done:

(a) The applicant pays the appropriate license fee, as established under s. 50.51 (2) (c). Fees collected under this paragraph shall be credited to the appropriation under s. 20.435 (6) (jm) for licensing and inspection activities.

(b) Except as provided in par. (c), the department inspects the health care services provided by the applying rural medical center and finds that the applicant is fit and qualified and meets the requirements and standards of this subchapter and the rules promulgated under this subchapter.

(c) In lieu of conducting the inspection under par. (b), the department accepts evidence that an applicant meets one of the following requirements:

1. Has applicable current, valid state licensure or approval as a hospital, a nursing home, a hospice or a home health agency.

2. Has an applicable, current agreement to participate as an eligible provider in medicare.

3. Is a critical access hospital.

4. Satisfies qualifications that are specified by the department by rule.

(3) Each license shall bear the name of the owner of the rural medical center, the name and address of the rural medical center and the health care services that the department licenses the rural medical center to provide.

(4) A regular license issued to a rural medical center is valid until it is suspended or revoked. A provisional license issued to a rural medical center is valid for 6 months from the date of issuance.

(5) Each license shall be issued only for the rural medical center and owner that are named in the license application and may not be transferred or assigned.

History: 1995 a. 98; 1997 a. 27, 237.