Senate Bill sb1062

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
    Florida Senate - 2004                                  SB 1062

    By Senator Bennett





    21-729-04

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to health care facilities;

  3         creating s. 400.244, F.S.; allowing nursing

  4         homes to convert beds to alternative uses as

  5         specified; providing restrictions on uses of

  6         funding under assisted-living Medicaid waivers;

  7         providing for the applicability of certain fire

  8         and life safety codes; providing applicability

  9         of certain laws; requiring a nursing home to

10         submit to the Agency for Health Care

11         Administration a written request for permission

12         to convert beds to alternative uses; providing

13         conditions for disapproving such a request;

14         providing for periodic review; providing for

15         retention of nursing home licensure for

16         converted beds; providing for reconversion of

17         the beds; providing applicability of licensure

18         fees; requiring a report to the agency;

19         amending s. 400.021, F.S.; redefining the term

20         "resident care plan," as used in part II of ch.

21         400, F.S.; amending s. 400.211, F.S.; revising

22         in-service training requirements for persons

23         employed as nursing assistants in a nursing

24         home facility; amending s. 400.23, F.S.;

25         requiring that certain information from the

26         agency reflect the most current agency actions;

27         amending s. 408.034, F.S.; requiring the

28         nursing-home-bed-need methodology established

29         by the agency by rule to include a goal of

30         maintaining a specified district average

31         occupancy rate; amending s. 408.036, F.S.;

                                  1

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2004                                  SB 1062
    21-729-04




 1         providing that replacing one nursing home

 2         facility with another nursing home facility

 3         within the same district and relocating one

 4         nursing home's licensed beds to another

 5         facility in the same district are projects

 6         subject to expedited agency review of the

 7         certificate-of-need application; providing that

 8         adding 20 beds to a Gold Seal nursing home,

 9         replacing a licensed nursing home on the same

10         site or within 3 miles of the present site, or

11         consolidating or transferring licensed nursing

12         home beds by providers operating multiple

13         nursing homes are exempt from

14         certificate-of-need review; amending s. 52, ch.

15         2001-45, Laws of Florida; providing that the

16         moratorium on approving certificates of need

17         for nursing homes does not apply in counties

18         meeting specified criteria; providing for

19         review of the specified criteria; providing an

20         effective date.

21  

22  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

23  

24         Section 1.  Section 400.244, Florida Statutes, is

25  created to read:

26         400.244  Alternative uses of nursing home beds; funding

27  limitations; applicable codes and requirements; procedures;

28  reconversion.--

29         (1)  It is the intent of the Legislature to allow

30  nursing home facilities to use licensed nursing home facility

31  

                                  2

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2004                                  SB 1062
    21-729-04




 1  beds for alternative uses other than nursing home care for

 2  extended periods of time exceeding 48 hours.

 3         (2)  A nursing home may use a contiguous portion of the

 4  nursing home facility to meet the needs of the elderly through

 5  the use of less restrictive and less institutional methods of

 6  long-term care, including, but not limited to, adult day care,

 7  assisted living, extended congregate care, or limited nursing

 8  services.

 9         (3)  Funding under assisted-living Medicaid waivers for

10  nursing home facility beds that are used to provide extended

11  congregate care or limited nursing services under this section

12  may be provided only for residents who have resided in the

13  nursing home facility for a minimum of 90 consecutive days.

14         (4)  Nursing home facility beds that are used in

15  providing alternative services may share common areas,

16  services, and staff with beds that are designated for nursing

17  home care. Fire codes and life safety codes applicable to

18  nursing home facilities also apply to beds used for

19  alternative purposes under this section. Any alternative use

20  must meet other requirements specified by law for that use.

21         (5)  In order to take beds out of service for nursing

22  home care and use them to provide alternative services under

23  this section, a nursing home must submit a written request for

24  approval to the Agency for Health Care Administration in a

25  format specified by the agency. The agency shall approve the

26  request unless it determines that such action will adversely

27  affect access to nursing home care in the geographical area in

28  which the nursing home is located. The agency shall, in its

29  review, consider a district average occupancy of 94 percent or

30  greater at the time of the application as an indicator of an

31  

                                  3

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2004                                  SB 1062
    21-729-04




 1  adverse impact. The agency shall review the request for

 2  alternative use at each annual license renewal.

 3         (6)  A nursing home facility that converts beds to an

 4  alternative use under this section retains its license for all

 5  of the nursing home facility beds and may return those beds to

 6  nursing home operation upon 60 days' written notice to the

 7  agency unless notice requirements are specified elsewhere in

 8  law. The nursing home facility shall continue to pay all

 9  licensure fees as required by s. 400.062 and applicable rules

10  but is not required to pay any other state licensure fee for

11  the alternative service.

12         (7)  Within 45 days after the end of each calendar

13  quarter, each facility that has nursing facility beds licensed

14  under this chapter shall report to the agency or its designee

15  the total number of patient days which occurred in each month

16  of the quarter and the number of such days which were Medicaid

17  patient days.

18         Section 2.  Subsection (17) of section 400.021, Florida

19  Statutes, is amended to read:

20         400.021  Definitions.--When used in this part, unless

21  the context otherwise requires, the term:

22         (17)  "Resident care plan" means a written plan

23  developed, maintained, and reviewed not less than quarterly by

24  a registered nurse, with participation from other facility

25  staff and the resident or his or her designee or legal

26  representative, which includes a comprehensive assessment of

27  the needs of an individual resident; the type and frequency of

28  services required to provide the necessary care for the

29  resident to attain or maintain the highest practicable

30  physical, mental, and psychosocial well-being; a listing of

31  services provided within or outside the facility to meet those

                                  4

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2004                                  SB 1062
    21-729-04




 1  needs; and an explanation of service goals. The resident care

 2  plan must be signed by the director of nursing or another

 3  registered nurse employed by the facility to whom

 4  institutional responsibilities have been delegated and by the

 5  resident, the resident's designee, or the resident's legal

 6  representative. The facility may not use an agency or

 7  temporary registered nurse to satisfy the signature

 8  requirement and must document the institutional

 9  responsibilities that have been delegated to the registered

10  nurse.

11         Section 3.  Subsection (4) of section 400.211, Florida

12  Statutes, is amended to read:

13         400.211  Persons employed as nursing assistants;

14  certification requirement.--

15         (4)  When employed by a nursing home facility for a

16  12-month period or longer, a nursing assistant, to maintain

17  certification, shall submit to a performance review every 12

18  months and must receive regular inservice education based on

19  the outcome of the such reviews. The inservice training must:

20         (a)  Be sufficient to ensure the continuing competence

21  of nursing assistants and, must meet the standard specified in

22  s. 464.203(7) be at least 18 hours per year, and may include

23  hours accrued under s. 464.203(8);

24         (b)  Include, at a minimum:

25         1.  Techniques for assisting with eating and proper

26  feeding;

27         2.  Principles of adequate nutrition and hydration;

28         3.  Techniques for assisting and responding to the

29  cognitively impaired resident or the resident with difficult

30  behaviors;

31  

                                  5

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2004                                  SB 1062
    21-729-04




 1         4.  Techniques for caring for the resident at the

 2  end-of-life; and

 3         5.  Recognizing changes that place a resident at risk

 4  for pressure ulcers and falls; and

 5         (c)  Address areas of weakness as determined in nursing

 6  assistant performance reviews and may address the special

 7  needs of residents as determined by the nursing home facility

 8  staff.

 9  

10  Costs associated with this training may not be reimbursed from

11  additional Medicaid funding through interim rate adjustments.

12         Section 4.  Subsection (10) is added to section 400.23,

13  Florida Statutes, to read:

14         400.23  Rules; evaluation and deficiencies; licensure

15  status.--

16         (10)  Agency records, reports, ranking systems,

17  Internet information, and publications must reflect the most

18  current agency actions.

19         Section 5.  Subsection (5) of section 408.034, Florida

20  Statutes, is amended to read:

21         408.034  Duties and responsibilities of agency;

22  rules.--

23         (5)  The agency shall adopt a establish by rule for a

24  nursing-home-bed-need methodology that has a goal of

25  maintaining a district average occupancy rate of 94 percent

26  and that reduces the community nursing home bed need for the

27  areas of the state where the agency establishes pilot

28  community diversion programs through the Title XIX aging

29  waiver program.

30  

31  

                                  6

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2004                                  SB 1062
    21-729-04




 1         Section 6.  Paragraphs (g) and (h) are added to

 2  subsection (2) of section 408.036, Florida Statutes, and

 3  subsection (3) of that section is amended to read:

 4         408.036  Projects subject to review; exemptions.--

 5         (2)  PROJECTS SUBJECT TO EXPEDITED REVIEW.--Unless

 6  exempt pursuant to subsection (3), projects subject to an

 7  expedited review shall include, but not be limited to:

 8         (g)  Replacement of a nursing home within the same

 9  district, if the proposed project site is located within a

10  geographic area that contains at least 65 percent of the

11  facility's current residents and is within a 30-mile radius of

12  the replaced nursing home.

13         (h)  Relocation of a portion of a nursing home's

14  licensed beds to a facility within the same district, if the

15  relocation is within a 30-mile radius of the existing facility

16  and the total number of nursing home beds in the district does

17  not increase.

18  

19  The agency shall develop rules to implement the provisions for

20  expedited review, including time schedule, application content

21  which may be reduced from the full requirements of s.

22  408.037(1), and application processing.

23         (3)  EXEMPTIONS.--Upon request, the following projects

24  are subject to exemption from the provisions of subsection

25  (1):

26         (a)  For replacement of a licensed health care facility

27  on the same site, provided that the number of beds in each

28  licensed bed category will not increase.

29         (b)  For hospice services or for swing beds in a rural

30  hospital, as defined in s. 395.602, in a number that does not

31  exceed one-half of its licensed beds.

                                  7

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2004                                  SB 1062
    21-729-04




 1         (c)  For the conversion of licensed acute care hospital

 2  beds to Medicare and Medicaid certified skilled nursing beds

 3  in a rural hospital, as defined in s. 395.602, so long as the

 4  conversion of the beds does not involve the construction of

 5  new facilities. The total number of skilled nursing beds,

 6  including swing beds, may not exceed one-half of the total

 7  number of licensed beds in the rural hospital as of July 1,

 8  1993. Certified skilled nursing beds designated under this

 9  paragraph, excluding swing beds, shall be included in the

10  community nursing home bed inventory.  A rural hospital that

11  which subsequently decertifies any acute care beds exempted

12  under this paragraph shall notify the agency of the

13  decertification, and the agency shall adjust the community

14  nursing home bed inventory accordingly.

15         (d)  For the addition of nursing home beds at a skilled

16  nursing facility that is part of a retirement community that

17  provides a variety of residential settings and supportive

18  services and that has been incorporated and operated in this

19  state for at least 65 years on or before July 1, 1994. All

20  nursing home beds must not be available to the public but must

21  be for the exclusive use of the community residents.

22         (e)  For an increase in the bed capacity of a nursing

23  facility licensed for at least 50 beds as of January 1, 1994,

24  under part II of chapter 400 which is not part of a continuing

25  care facility if, after the increase, the total licensed bed

26  capacity of that facility is not more than 60 beds and if the

27  facility has been continuously licensed since 1950 and has

28  received a superior rating on each of its two most recent

29  licensure surveys.

30         (f)  For an inmate health care facility built by or for

31  the exclusive use of the Department of Corrections as provided

                                  8

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2004                                  SB 1062
    21-729-04




 1  in chapter 945. This exemption expires when such facility is

 2  converted to other uses.

 3         (g)  For the termination of an inpatient health care

 4  service, upon 30 days' written notice to the agency.

 5         (h)  For the delicensure of beds, upon 30 days' written

 6  notice to the agency. A request for exemption submitted under

 7  this paragraph must identify the number, the category of beds,

 8  and the name of the facility in which the beds to be

 9  delicensed are located.

10         (i)  For the provision of adult inpatient diagnostic

11  cardiac catheterization services in a hospital.

12         1.  In addition to any other documentation otherwise

13  required by the agency, a request for an exemption submitted

14  under this paragraph must comply with the following criteria:

15         a.  The applicant must certify it will not provide

16  therapeutic cardiac catheterization pursuant to the grant of

17  the exemption.

18         b.  The applicant must certify it will meet and

19  continuously maintain the minimum licensure requirements

20  adopted by the agency governing such programs pursuant to

21  subparagraph 2.

22         c.  The applicant must certify it will provide a

23  minimum of 2 percent of its services to charity and Medicaid

24  patients.

25         2.  The agency shall adopt licensure requirements by

26  rule which govern the operation of adult inpatient diagnostic

27  cardiac catheterization programs established pursuant to the

28  exemption provided in this paragraph. The rules shall ensure

29  that such programs:

30         a.  Perform only adult inpatient diagnostic cardiac

31  catheterization services authorized by the exemption and will

                                  9

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2004                                  SB 1062
    21-729-04




 1  not provide therapeutic cardiac catheterization or any other

 2  services not authorized by the exemption.

 3         b.  Maintain sufficient appropriate equipment and

 4  health personnel to ensure quality and safety.

 5         c.  Maintain appropriate times of operation and

 6  protocols to ensure availability and appropriate referrals in

 7  the event of emergencies.

 8         d.  Maintain appropriate program volumes to ensure

 9  quality and safety.

10         e.  Provide a minimum of 2 percent of its services to

11  charity and Medicaid patients each year.

12         3.a.  The exemption provided by this paragraph shall

13  not apply unless the agency determines that the program is in

14  compliance with the requirements of subparagraph 1. and that

15  the program will, after beginning operation, continuously

16  comply with the rules adopted under pursuant to subparagraph

17  2.  The agency shall monitor such programs to ensure

18  compliance with the requirements of subparagraph 2.

19         b.(I)  The exemption for a program shall expire

20  immediately when the program fails to comply with the rules

21  adopted under pursuant to sub-subparagraphs 2.a., b., and c.

22         (II)  Beginning 18 months after a program first begins

23  treating patients, the exemption for a program shall expire

24  when the program fails to comply with the rules adopted under

25  pursuant to sub-subparagraphs 2.d. and e.

26         (III)  If the exemption for a program expires under

27  pursuant to sub-sub-subparagraph (I) or sub-sub-subparagraph

28  (II), the agency shall not grant an exemption under pursuant

29  to this paragraph for an adult inpatient diagnostic cardiac

30  catheterization program located at the same hospital until 2

31  years following the date of the determination by the agency

                                  10

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2004                                  SB 1062
    21-729-04




 1  that the program failed to comply with the rules adopted under

 2  pursuant to subparagraph 2.

 3         (j)  For mobile surgical facilities and related health

 4  care services provided under contract with the Department of

 5  Corrections or a private correctional facility operating

 6  pursuant to chapter 957.

 7         (k)  For state veterans' nursing homes operated by or

 8  on behalf of the Florida Department of Veterans' Affairs in

 9  accordance with part II of chapter 296 for which at least 50

10  percent of the construction cost is federally funded and for

11  which the Federal Government pays a per diem rate not to

12  exceed one-half of the cost of the veterans' care in such

13  state nursing homes. These beds shall not be included in the

14  nursing home bed inventory.

15         (l)  For combination within one nursing home facility

16  of the beds or services authorized by two or more certificates

17  of need issued in the same planning subdistrict.  An exemption

18  granted under this paragraph shall extend the validity period

19  of the certificates of need to be consolidated by the length

20  of the period beginning upon submission of the exemption

21  request and ending with issuance of the exemption.  The

22  longest validity period among the certificates shall be

23  applicable to each of the combined certificates.

24         (m)  For division into two or more nursing home

25  facilities of beds or services authorized by one certificate

26  of need issued in the same planning subdistrict.  An exemption

27  granted under this paragraph shall extend the validity period

28  of the certificate of need to be divided by the length of the

29  period beginning upon submission of the exemption request and

30  ending with issuance of the exemption.

31  

                                  11

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2004                                  SB 1062
    21-729-04




 1         (n)  For the addition of hospital beds licensed under

 2  chapter 395 for acute care, mental health services, or a

 3  hospital-based distinct part skilled nursing unit in a number

 4  that may not exceed 10 total beds or 10 percent of the

 5  licensed capacity of the bed category being expanded,

 6  whichever is greater. Beds for specialty burn units, neonatal

 7  intensive care units, or comprehensive rehabilitation, or at a

 8  long-term care hospital, may not be increased under this

 9  paragraph.

10         1.  In addition to any other documentation otherwise

11  required by the agency, a request for exemption submitted

12  under this paragraph must:

13         a.  Certify that the prior 12-month average occupancy

14  rate for the category of licensed beds being expanded at the

15  facility meets or exceeds 80 percent or, for a hospital-based

16  distinct part skilled nursing unit, the prior 12-month average

17  occupancy rate meets or exceeds 96 percent.

18         b.  Certify that any beds of the same type authorized

19  for the facility under this paragraph before the date of the

20  current request for an exemption have been licensed and

21  operational for at least 12 months.

22         2.  The timeframes and monitoring process specified in

23  s. 408.040(2)(a)-(c) apply to any exemption issued under this

24  paragraph.

25         3.  The agency shall count beds authorized under this

26  paragraph as approved beds in the published inventory of

27  hospital beds until the beds are licensed.

28         (o)  For the addition of acute care beds, as authorized

29  by rule consistent with s. 395.003(4), in a number that may

30  not exceed 10 total beds or 10 percent of licensed bed

31  capacity, whichever is greater, for temporary beds in a

                                  12

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2004                                  SB 1062
    21-729-04




 1  hospital that has experienced high seasonal occupancy within

 2  the prior 12-month period or in a hospital that must respond

 3  to emergency circumstances.

 4         (p)  For the addition of nursing home beds licensed

 5  under chapter 400 in a number not exceeding 10 total beds or

 6  10 percent of the number of beds licensed in the facility

 7  being expanded, whichever is greater, or for the addition of

 8  nursing home beds licensed under chapter 400 at a facility

 9  that has been designated as a Gold Seal nursing home under s.

10  400.235 in a number not exceeding 20 total beds or 10 percent

11  of the number of beds licensed in the facility being expanded,

12  whichever is greater.

13         1.  In addition to any other documentation required by

14  the agency, a request for exemption submitted under this

15  paragraph must:

16         a.  Effective until June 30, 2001, Certify that the

17  facility has not had any class I or class II deficiencies

18  within the 30 months preceding the request for addition.

19         b.  Effective on July 1, 2001, certify that the

20  facility has been designated as a Gold Seal nursing home under

21  s. 400.235.

22         b.c.  Certify that the prior 12-month average occupancy

23  rate for the nursing home beds at the facility meets or

24  exceeds 96 percent.

25         c.d.  Certify that any beds authorized for the facility

26  under this paragraph before the date of the current request

27  for an exemption have been licensed and operational for at

28  least 12 months.

29         2.  The timeframes and monitoring process specified in

30  s. 408.040(2)(a)-(c) apply to any exemption issued under this

31  paragraph.

                                  13

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2004                                  SB 1062
    21-729-04




 1         3.  The agency shall count beds authorized under this

 2  paragraph as approved beds in the published inventory of

 3  nursing home beds until the beds are licensed.

 4         (q)  For establishment of a specialty hospital offering

 5  a range of medical service restricted to a defined age or

 6  gender group of the population or a restricted range of

 7  services appropriate to the diagnosis, care, and treatment of

 8  patients with specific categories of medical illnesses or

 9  disorders, through the transfer of beds and services from an

10  existing hospital in the same county.

11         (r)  For the conversion of hospital-based Medicare and

12  Medicaid certified skilled nursing beds to acute care beds, if

13  the conversion does not involve the construction of new

14  facilities.

15         (s)1.  For an adult open-heart-surgery program to be

16  located in a new hospital provided the new hospital is being

17  established in the location of an existing hospital with an

18  adult open-heart-surgery program, the existing hospital and

19  the existing adult open-heart-surgery program are being

20  relocated to a replacement hospital, and the replacement

21  hospital will utilize a closed-staff model. A hospital is

22  exempt from the certificate-of-need review for the

23  establishment of an open-heart-surgery program if the

24  application for exemption submitted under this paragraph

25  complies with the following criteria:

26         a.  The applicant must certify that it will meet and

27  continuously maintain the minimum Florida Administrative Code

28  and any future licensure requirements governing adult

29  open-heart programs adopted by the agency, including the most

30  current guidelines of the American College of Cardiology and

31  

                                  14

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2004                                  SB 1062
    21-729-04




 1  American Heart Association Guidelines for Adult Open Heart

 2  Programs.

 3         b.  The applicant must certify that it will maintain

 4  sufficient appropriate equipment and health personnel to

 5  ensure quality and safety.

 6         c.  The applicant must certify that it will maintain

 7  appropriate times of operation and protocols to ensure

 8  availability and appropriate referrals in the event of

 9  emergencies.

10         d.  The applicant is a newly licensed hospital in a

11  physical location previously owned and licensed to a hospital

12  performing more than 300 open-heart procedures each year,

13  including heart transplants.

14         e.  The applicant must certify that it can perform more

15  than 300 diagnostic cardiac catheterization procedures per

16  year, combined inpatient and outpatient, by the end of the

17  third year of its operation.

18         f.  The applicant's payor mix at a minimum reflects the

19  community average for Medicaid, charity care, and self-pay

20  patients or the applicant must certify that it will provide a

21  minimum of 5 percent of Medicaid, charity care, and self-pay

22  to open-heart-surgery patients.

23         g.  If the applicant fails to meet the established

24  criteria for open-heart programs or fails to reach 300

25  surgeries per year by the end of its third year of operation,

26  it must show cause why its exemption should not be revoked.

27         h.  In order to ensure continuity of available

28  services, the applicant of the newly licensed hospital may

29  apply for this certificate-of-need before taking possession of

30  the physical facilities. The effective date of the

31  

                                  15

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2004                                  SB 1062
    21-729-04




 1  certificate-of-need will be concurrent with the effective date

 2  of the newly issued hospital license.

 3         2.  By December 31, 2004, and annually thereafter, the

 4  agency shall submit a report to the Legislature providing

 5  information concerning the number of requests for exemption

 6  received under this paragraph and the number of exemptions

 7  granted or denied.

 8         3.  This paragraph is repealed effective January 1,

 9  2008.

10         (t)1.  For the provision of adult open-heart services

11  in a hospital located within the boundaries of Palm Beach,

12  Polk, Martin, St. Lucie, and Indian River Counties if the

13  following conditions are met: The exemption must be based upon

14  objective criteria and address and solve the twin problems of

15  geographic and temporal access. A hospital shall be exempt

16  from the certificate-of-need review for the establishment of

17  an open-heart-surgery program when the application for

18  exemption submitted under this paragraph complies with the

19  following criteria:

20         a.  The applicant must certify that it will meet and

21  continuously maintain the minimum licensure requirements

22  adopted by the agency governing adult open-heart programs,

23  including the most current guidelines of the American College

24  of Cardiology and American Heart Association Guidelines for

25  Adult Open Heart Programs.

26         b.  The applicant must certify that it will maintain

27  sufficient appropriate equipment and health personnel to

28  ensure quality and safety.

29         c.  The applicant must certify that it will maintain

30  appropriate times of operation and protocols to ensure

31  

                                  16

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2004                                  SB 1062
    21-729-04




 1  availability and appropriate referrals in the event of

 2  emergencies.

 3         d.  The applicant can demonstrate that it is referring

 4  300 or more patients per year from the hospital, including the

 5  emergency room, for cardiac services at a hospital with

 6  cardiac services, or that the average wait for transfer for 50

 7  percent or more of the cardiac patients exceeds 4 hours.

 8         e.  The applicant is a general acute care hospital that

 9  is in operation for 3 years or more.

10         f.  The applicant is performing more than 300

11  diagnostic cardiac catheterization procedures per year,

12  combined inpatient and outpatient.

13         g.  The applicant's payor mix at a minimum reflects the

14  community average for Medicaid, charity care, and self-pay

15  patients or the applicant must certify that it will provide a

16  minimum of 5 percent of Medicaid, charity care, and self-pay

17  to open-heart-surgery patients.

18         h.  If the applicant fails to meet the established

19  criteria for open-heart programs or fails to reach 300

20  surgeries per year by the end of its third year of operation,

21  it must show cause why its exemption should not be revoked.

22         2.  By December 31, 2004, and annually thereafter, the

23  Agency for Health Care Administration shall submit a report to

24  the Legislature providing information concerning the number of

25  requests for exemption received under this paragraph and the

26  number of exemptions granted or denied.

27         (u)  For replacement of a licensed nursing home on the

28  same site, or within 3 miles of the same site, if the number

29  of licensed beds does not increase.

30         (v)  For consolidation or combination of licensed

31  nursing homes or transfer of beds between licensed nursing

                                  17

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2004                                  SB 1062
    21-729-04




 1  homes within the same planning subdistrict, by providers that

 2  operate multiple nursing homes within that planning

 3  subdistrict, if there is no increase in the total number of

 4  nursing home beds within the planning subdistrict and the

 5  relocation is not more than 30 miles from the original

 6  location.

 7         Section 7.  Section 52 of chapter 2001-45, Laws of

 8  Florida, is amended to read:

 9         Section 52. (1)  Notwithstanding the establishment of

10  need as provided for in chapter 408, Florida Statutes, no

11  certificate of need for additional community nursing home beds

12  shall be approved by the agency until July 1, 2006.

13         (2)  The Legislature finds that the continued growth in

14  the Medicaid budget for nursing home care has constrained the

15  ability of the state to meet the needs of its elderly

16  residents through the use of less restrictive and less

17  institutional methods of long-term care. It is therefore the

18  intent of the Legislature to limit the increase in Medicaid

19  nursing home expenditures in order to provide funds to invest

20  in long-term care that is community-based and provides

21  supportive services in a manner that is both more

22  cost-effective and more in keeping with the wishes of the

23  elderly residents of this state.

24         (3)  This moratorium on certificates of need shall not

25  apply to sheltered nursing home beds in a continuing care

26  retirement community certified by the Department of Insurance

27  pursuant to chapter 651, Florida Statutes.

28         (4)(a)  This moratorium on the approval of certificates

29  of need does not apply, and a certificate of need for

30  additional community nursing home beds may be approved, for a

31  county that meets the following circumstances:

                                  18

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2004                                  SB 1062
    21-729-04




 1         1.  The county has no community nursing home beds.

 2         2.  The lack of community nursing home beds occurs

 3  because all nursing home beds in the county which were

 4  licensed on July 1, 2001, have subsequently closed.

 5         (b)  The certificate-of-need review for such

 6  circumstances is subject to the comparative review process

 7  consistent with section 408.039, Florida Statutes, and the

 8  number of beds may not exceed the number of beds lost by the

 9  county after July 1, 2001.

10         Section 8.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

11  law.

12  

13            *****************************************

14                          SENATE SUMMARY

15    Allows nursing homes to convert beds to alternative uses
      as specified. Provides restrictions on uses of funding
16    under assisted-living Medicaid waivers. Provides for the
      applicability of certain fire and life safety codes.
17    Requires a nursing home to submit a written request to
      the Agency for Health Care Administration for permission
18    to convert beds to alternative uses. Provides conditions
      for disapproving such a request. Requires periodic
19    review. Provides for retention of nursing home licensure
      for converted beds. Allows reconversion of the beds.
20    Provides applicability of licensure fees. Requires a
      report to the agency. Revises in-service training
21    requirements for persons employed as nursing assistants
      in a nursing home facility. Directs that certain
22    information from the agency must reflect the most current
      agency actions. Requires that the nursing-home-bed-need
23    methodology adopted by the agency include a goal of
      maintaining a specified district average occupancy rate.
24    Provides that replacement or relocation of nursing home
      beds within the same district are projects subject to
25    expedited agency review of the certificate-of-need
      application. Provides that certain increases of nursing
26    home beds and consolidation or transfer of licensed
      nursing home beds by providers operating multiple nursing
27    homes are exempt from certificate-of-need review.
      Provides that the moratorium on approving certificates of
28    need for nursing home beds does not apply in counties
      meeting specified criteria.
29  

30  

31  

                                  19

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.