Connecticut General Statutes
Chapter 368z - Health Systems Planning Unit
Section 19a-638. (Formerly Sec. 19a-154). - Certificate of need. When required and not required. Request for unit determination. Policies, procedures and regulations.

(a) A certificate of need issued by the unit shall be required for:

(1) The establishment of a new health care facility;
(2) A transfer of ownership of a health care facility;
(3) A transfer of ownership of a large group practice to any entity other than a (A) physician, or (B) group of two or more physicians, legally organized in a partnership, professional corporation or limited liability company formed to render professional services and not employed by or an affiliate of any hospital, medical foundation, insurance company or other similar entity;
(4) The establishment of a freestanding emergency department;
(5) The termination of inpatient or outpatient services offered by a hospital, including, but not limited to, the termination by a short-term acute care general hospital or children's hospital of inpatient and outpatient mental health and substance abuse services;
(6) The establishment of an outpatient surgical facility, as defined in section 19a-493b, or as established by a short-term acute care general hospital;
(7) The termination of surgical services by an outpatient surgical facility, as defined in section 19a-493b, or a facility that provides outpatient surgical services as part of the outpatient surgery department of a short-term acute care general hospital, provided termination of outpatient surgical services due to (A) insufficient patient volume, or (B) the termination of any subspecialty surgical service, shall not require certificate of need approval;
(8) The termination of an emergency department by a short-term acute care general hospital;
(9) The establishment of cardiac services, including inpatient and outpatient cardiac catheterization, interventional cardiology and cardiovascular surgery;
(10) The acquisition of computed tomography scanners, magnetic resonance imaging scanners, positron emission tomography scanners or positron emission tomography-computed tomography scanners, by any person, physician, provider, short-term acute care general hospital or children's hospital, except (A) as provided for in subdivision (22) of subsection (b) of this section, and (B) a certificate of need issued by the unit shall not be required where such scanner is a replacement for a scanner that was previously acquired through certificate of need approval or a certificate of need determination;
(11) The acquisition of nonhospital based linear accelerators;
(12) An increase in the licensed bed capacity of a health care facility, except as provided in subdivision (23) of subsection (b) of this section;
(13) The acquisition of equipment utilizing technology that has not previously been utilized in the state;
(14) An increase of two or more operating rooms within any three-year period, commencing on and after October 1, 2010, by an outpatient surgical facility, as defined in section 19a-493b, or by a short-term acute care general hospital; and
(15) The termination of inpatient or outpatient services offered by a hospital or other facility or institution operated by the state that provides services that are eligible for reimbursement under Title XVIII or XIX of the federal Social Security Act, 42 USC 301, as amended.
(b) A certificate of need shall not be required for:
(1) Health care facilities owned and operated by the federal government;
(2) The establishment of offices by a licensed private practitioner, whether for individual or group practice, except when a certificate of need is required in accordance with the requirements of section 19a-493b or subdivision (3), (10) or (11) of subsection (a) of this section;
(3) A health care facility operated by a religious group that exclusively relies upon spiritual means through prayer for healing;
(4) Residential care homes, as defined in subsection (c) of section 19a-490, and nursing homes and rest homes, as defined in subsection (o) of section 19a-490;
(5) An assisted living services agency, as defined in section 19a-490;
(6) Home health agencies, as defined in section 19a-490;
(7) Hospice services, as described in section 19a-122b;
(8) Outpatient rehabilitation facilities;
(9) Outpatient chronic dialysis services;
(10) Transplant services;
(11) Free clinics, as defined in section 19a-630;
(12) School-based health centers and expanded school health sites, as such terms are defined in section 19a-6r, community health centers, as defined in section 19a-490a, not-for-profit outpatient clinics licensed in accordance with the provisions of chapter 368v and federally qualified health centers;
(13) A program licensed or funded by the Department of Children and Families, provided such program is not a psychiatric residential treatment facility;
(14) Any nonprofit facility, institution or provider that has a contract with, or is certified or licensed to provide a service for, a state agency or department for a service that would otherwise require a certificate of need. The provisions of this subdivision shall not apply to a short-term acute care general hospital or children's hospital, or a hospital or other facility or institution operated by the state that provides services that are eligible for reimbursement under Title XVIII or XIX of the federal Social Security Act, 42 USC 301, as amended;
(15) A health care facility operated by a nonprofit educational institution exclusively for students, faculty and staff of such institution and their dependents;
(16) An outpatient clinic or program operated exclusively by or contracted to be operated exclusively by a municipality, municipal agency, municipal board of education or a health district, as described in section 19a-241;
(17) A residential facility for persons with intellectual disability licensed pursuant to section 17a-227 and certified to participate in the Title XIX Medicaid program as an intermediate care facility for individuals with intellectual disabilities;
(18) Replacement of existing imaging equipment if such equipment was acquired through certificate of need approval or a certificate of need determination, provided a health care facility, provider, physician or person notifies the unit of the date on which the equipment is replaced and the disposition of the replaced equipment;
(19) Acquisition of cone-beam dental imaging equipment that is to be used exclusively by a dentist licensed pursuant to chapter 379;
(20) The partial or total elimination of services provided by an outpatient surgical facility, as defined in section 19a-493b, except as provided in subdivision (6) of subsection (a) of this section and section 19a-639e;
(21) The termination of services for which the Department of Public Health has requested the facility to relinquish its license;
(22) Acquisition of any equipment by any person that is to be used exclusively for scientific research that is not conducted on humans; or
(23) On or before June 30, 2026, an increase in the licensed bed capacity of a mental health facility, provided (A) the mental health facility demonstrates to the unit, in a form and manner prescribed by the unit, that it accepts reimbursement for any covered benefit provided to a covered individual under: (i) An individual or group health insurance policy providing coverage of the type specified in subdivisions (1), (2), (4), (11) and (12) of section 38a-469; (ii) a self-insured employee welfare benefit plan established pursuant to the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended from time to time; or (iii) HUSKY Health, as defined in section 17b-290, and (B) if the mental health facility does not accept or stops accepting reimbursement for any covered benefit provided to a covered individual under a policy, plan or program described in clause (i), (ii) or (iii) of subparagraph (A) of this subdivision, a certificate of need for such increase in the licensed bed capacity shall be required.
(c) (1) Any person, health care facility or institution that is unsure whether a certificate of need is required under this section, or (2) any health care facility that proposes to relocate pursuant to section 19a-639c shall send a letter to the unit that describes the project and requests that the unit make a determination as to whether a certificate of need is required. In the case of a relocation of a health care facility, the letter shall include information described in section 19a-639c. A person, health care facility or institution making such request shall provide the unit with any information the unit requests as part of its determination process.
(d) The executive director of the Office of Health Strategy may implement policies and procedures necessary to administer the provisions of this section while in the process of adopting such policies and procedures as regulation, provided the executive director holds a public hearing prior to implementing the policies and procedures and posts notice of intent to adopt regulations on the office's Internet web site and the eRegulations System not later than twenty days after the date of implementation. Policies and procedures implemented pursuant to this section shall be valid until the time final regulations are adopted.
(e) On or before June 30, 2026, a mental health facility seeking to increase licensed bed capacity without applying for a certificate of need, as permitted pursuant to subdivision (23) of subsection (b) of this section, shall notify the Office of Health Strategy, in a form and manner prescribed by the executive director of said office, regarding (1) such facility's intent to increase licensed bed capacity, (2) the address of such facility, and (3) a description of all services that are being or will be provided at such facility.
(f) Not later than January 1, 2025, the executive director of the Office of Health Strategy shall report to the Governor and, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to public health concerning the executive director's recommendations, if any, regarding the establishment of an expedited certificate of need process for mental health facilities.
(P.A. 73-117, S. 13, 31; P.A. 77-192, S. 7, 13; 77-304, S. 2; 77-601, S. 7, 11; P.A. 79-98, S. 1, 4; P.A. 80-73, S. 4; P.A. 81-211; 81-441, S. 1; 81-465, S. 5, 9, 18; P.A. 82-415, S. 15, 18; P.A. 83-215, S. 1, 3; P.A. 86-374, S. 2, 6; P.A. 87-192, S. 1, 3; 87-420, S. 11, 14; P.A. 89-72, S. 1, 5; 89-325, S. 12, 26; P.A. 91-48, S. 1, 4; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-8, S. 27, 63; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-12, S. 10; P.A. 92-220, S. 1, 2; P.A. 93-229, S. 3, 21; 93-262, S. 1, 17, 87; 93-381, S. 9, 39; 93-406, S. 1, 6; 93-435, S. 59, 95; P.A. 94-236, S. 9, 10; P.A. 95-257, S. 12, 21, 39, 46, 58; P.A. 97-112, S. 2; P.A. 98-150, S. 2, 17; P.A. 02-89, S. 34; P.A. 03-17, S. 1; P.A. 05-75, S. 2; 05-93, S. 1; 05-280, S. 58; P.A. 06-28, S. 1; 06-64, S. 6; 06-196, S. 214; P.A. 08-14, S. 3; P.A. 09-232, S. 92; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3, S. 9; P.A. 10-179, S. 87; P.A. 11-10, S. 1; 11-129, S. 8; 11-183, S. 1; 11-242, S. 80; P.A. 13-139, S. 17; P.A. 14-168, S. 6; P.A. 15-59, S. 4; 15-146, S. 37, 39; P.A. 18-91, S. 25; P.A. 19-118, S. 74; P.A. 22-47, S. 31.)
History: P.A. 77-192 included state health care facilities or institutions in provisions of section; P.A. 77-304 specified applicability to facilities or institutions which intend to “transfer all or any part of its ownership or control prior to being initially licensed” and specified factors to be considered in review if transfer of ownership or control is proposed; P.A. 77-601 added provisions concerning applicability of provisions to home health care, homemaker-home health aide, or coordination assessment and monitoring agencies and added Subsec. (b) re approval of home health care, homemaker-home health aide or coordination, assessment and monitoring agencies; P.A. 79-98 made provisions applicable to inpatient rehabilitation facilities affiliated with Easter Seal Society; P.A. 80-73 allowed commission to modify requests as well as to grant or deny requests in Subsec. (a); P.A. 81-211 mandated commission approval in Subsec. (a) for decreases in services to medical assistance patients by termination of Medicaid provider agreements; P.A. 81-441 amended the commission on hospitals and health care certificate of need review process by exempting from review outpatient, i.e. “ambulatory”, services provided by a health maintenance organization and by extending review to any facility plan to terminate a health service or to substantially decrease bed capacity; P.A. 81-465 amended Subsec. (a) to exempt home health care and homemaker-home health care agencies from commission review relative to transfers of ownership prior to initial licensure or increased staffing or services, and added provisions, codified by the Revisors as Subsec. (c), re coordination of activities between commission and health systems agencies; P.A. 82-415 eliminated exception for ambulatory service programs by health maintenance organizations from provision requiring submission of request for permission to add a function or service or to increase staff in Subsec. (a); Sec. 19-73l transferred to Sec. 19a-154 in 1983; P.A. 83-215 exempted ambulatory services established and conducted by a health maintenance organization from certificate of need review, provided for a 15-day extension of the 90-day review period if additional information is requested by the commissioner or a motion to approve, modify or deny a request results in a tie vote and authorized the adoption of regulations to establish a schedule for the submission of similar requests; P.A. 86-374 deleted references to coordination, assessment and monitoring agencies, including all of Subsec. (b), relettering Subsec. (c) accordingly; P.A. 87-192 deleted references to 90-day review period and added the provision re extension of the review period for 30 days; P.A. 87-420 deleted references to health systems agency and deleted the provision re coordination of activities with health systems agencies; P.A. 89-72 amended Subsec. (b) to change “shall” to “may” with regard to holding of hearings, adopting of regulations and establishing of a schedule which provides for completed applications pertaining to similar types of services; P.A. 89-325 deleted provisions re the decrease in services to recipients of medical assistance benefits in Subsec. (a); P.A. 91-48 restated Subsec. (a) provision re agencies required to request permission to undertake transfer of ownership or control, to institute additional functions or services or to terminate functions and services or to reduce bed capacity; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-8 added Subsecs. (d), (e) and (f) re moratorium on certificate of need for additional nursing home beds, on additional requests for beds from residential facilities for the mentally retarded, and any requests to modify the capital cost or expiration date of approval; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-12 amended Subsec. (c) requiring the commission to adopt regulations requiring that applications for certificates be submitted in cycles; P.A. 92-220 amended Subsec. (d) by extending moratorium through June 30, 1994, and adding provision re date by which construction shall begin and date by which nursing home shall be licensed under certificates of need in effect August 1, 1991, amended Subsec. (e) by deleting provision re expiration of approval of additional nursing home beds granted on or before July 1, 1991, and substituting definition of “a continuing care facility which guarantees life care for its residents”, added Subsec. (g) re joint request for merger of certificates of need, added Subsec. (h) re when construction shall be deemed to have begun, added Subsec. (i) re when financing shall be deemed to have been obtained, and added Subsec. (j) re when financing shall be deemed to have been obtained on and after March 1, 1993; P.A. 93-229 added Subsec. (a)(4) re submission of letter of intent, amended Subsec. (b) re exception to 90-day review period, adding language explaining that emergency nature to include compliances with fire, building or life safety code and that the letter of intent may be waived and amended Subsec. (c) to change “shall” to “may” re adoption of regulations, effective June 4, 1993; P.A. 93-262 deleted homemaker-home health aide agencies and added nursing homes, homes for the aged, rest homes and certain residential facilities for the mentally retarded as facilities to which section applies, deleted Subsecs. (d) to (g), inclusive, and (i) re requests for additional nursing home beds, continuing care facilities, requests for beds in residential facilities for the mentally retarded, certificates of need and financing methods, relettering remaining Subsecs. as necessary, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 93-381 replaced department of health services with department of public health and addiction services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 93-406 added Subsecs. (f) and (g) re expiration of certificates of need for nursing home beds, effective June 29, 1993 (Revisor's note: Pursuant to P.A. 93-262, 93-381 and 93-435 references to commissioners and departments of health services and income maintenance were replaced editorially by the Revisors by references to commissioners and departments of public health and addiction services and social services, respectively); P.A. 94-236 deleted former Subsec. (g) regarding nonexpiration of certificate of need if additional beds are used for a continuing care facility, effective June 7, 1994; P.A. 95-257 replaced Commission on Hospitals and Health Care and “commission” with Office of Health Care Access and “office” or “commissioner”, replaced Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Department of Public Health and deleted reference to a tie vote of the former commission, effective July 1, 1995; Sec. 19a-154 transferred to Sec. 19a-638 in 1997; P.A. 97-112 replaced “home for the aged” with “residential care home”; P.A. 98-150 added reference to exceptions in introductory language of Subsec. (a) and deleted the exceptions throughout section, reworded transfer as Subpara. (A) in Subsec. (a)(1) and added Subparas. (B) and (C), changed “transfer” to “transfer or change” in Subsec. (a)(1), amended Subdiv. (a)(4) by adding “replacement or additional”, adding “or relocation” to “expansion” adding references to change in ownership or control, termination of services or reduction in bed capacity or type, capital expenditure over $1,000,000 and acquisition of specified equipment over $400,000, added “value or expenditure” to Subdiv. (a)(4)(C), changed 90 days to 60 in Subdiv. (a)(4)(E) and added exception re one-time extension, amended Subsec. (b) by adding “new” and “expansion or the termination” to service or function and adding reference to termination or change of ownership throughout Subsec., added “affiliate of such hospital or any combination thereof”, replaced reference to future budget adjustments with Subdivs. (1), (2) and language re exclusion during review period, amended Subsec. (c) by deleting obsolete authority to adopt regulations and made technical changes throughout, effective June 5, 1998; P.A. 02-89 amended Subsec. (a) to replace reference to Sec. 19a-639d with Sec. 19a-639c, reflecting repeal of Sec. 19a-639d by the same public act; P.A. 03-17 amended Subsec. (a)(3) by replacing “decrease” with “reduce” and changed licensed bed capacity to total bed capacity and required notice when letter of intent received in Subsec. (a)(4), made technical changes in Subsec. (b) and added Subsec. (c)(1) to (3) re public hearings on complete certificate of need applications under certain circumstances; P.A. 05-75 added Subsec. (c)(3) by adding Subpara. (A) designator and new Subpara. (B) establishing a 21 calendar day deadline for requesting a public hearing on a completed certificate of need application; P.A. 05-93 amended Subsec. (a)(4) by eliminating, with certain exceptions, the $400,000 capital expenditure threshold for certificate of need review of proposals involving the purchase, lease or donation acceptance of various types of scanning equipment and linear accelerators and by making technical changes, effective July 1, 2005; P.A. 05-280 amended Subsec. (a) by adding reference to Sec. 19a-487a, effective July 1, 2005; P.A. 06-28 amended Subsec. (a)(4) by increasing the capital expenditure threshold and major medical equipment acquisition threshold for certificate of need review to $3,000,000, effective July 1, 2006; P.A. 06-64 amended Subsec. (b) by allowing waiver of letter of intent requirement when a function, service or termination or change of ownership or control is necessary to maintain continued access to health care services provided by a facility or institution, effective July 1, 2006; P.A. 06-196 made technical changes in Subsec. (a)(4), effective June 7, 2006; P.A. 08-14 amended Subsec. (a)(4) by substituting 21 days for 15 business days, substituting 7 days for 5 business days and making technical changes, amended Subsec. (b) by substituting not less than 14 days for at least 10 business days, amended Subsec. (c)(3) by making a technical change, and deleted Subsecs. (d) to (f), effective July 1, 2008; P.A. 09-232 amended Subsec. (a)(1) by deleting “all or part of” in Subpara. (A) and by defining “transfer its ownership or control”, amended Subsec. (a)(4)(B) by substituting “transfer of its ownership or control” for “change in ownership or control” in clause (iii) and by eliminating “cineangiography equipment” in clause (viii) and amended Subsec. (b) by making conforming changes, effective July 1, 2009; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3 amended Subsec. (b) by inserting “or the commissioner's designee”, effective October 6, 2009; P.A. 10-179 replaced former Subsecs. (a) to (c) with new Subsecs. (a) to (d) re when certificate of need is and is not required, letters to office for determination re whether certificate is required and authority of Commissioner of Public Health to implement policies and procedures while in process of adopting regulations; P.A. 11-10 amended Subsec. (a)(8) by adding reference to exception provided in Subsec. (b)(23) and added Subsec. (b)(23) exempting acquisition of equipment used exclusively for scientific research not conducted on humans from certificate of need requirements, effective May 24, 2011; P.A. 11-129 amended Subsec. (b)(17) to substitute “persons with intellectual disability” for “the mentally retarded”; P.A. 11-183 amended Subsec. (a) by requiring certificate of need for termination of inpatient or outpatient services offered by a hospital in Subdiv. (4), adding new Subdiv. (6) requiring certificate of need for termination of surgical services by certain facilities providing such services and redesignating existing Subdivs. (6) to (12) as Subdivs. (7) to (13), amended Subsec. (b) by substituting “persons with intellectual disability” for “the mentally retarded” in Subdiv. (17), deleting former Subdiv. (20) which excluded termination of inpatient or outpatient services offered by a hospital from certificate of need requirements, redesignating existing Subdivs. (21) to (23) as Subdivs. (20) to (22) and adding exception re Subsec. (a)(6) in Subdiv. (20), and made technical changes, effective July 13, 2011; P.A. 11-242 amended Subsec. (a) by adding provision, codified by the Revisors as Subdiv. (14), requiring certificate of need for termination of inpatient or outpatient services offered by certain hospitals, facilities or institutions operated by the state, effective July 13, 2011; P.A. 13-139 amended Subsec. (b)(17) by substituting “individuals with intellectual disabilities” for “the mentally retarded”; P.A. 14-168 amended Subsec. (a) by adding new Subdiv. (3) re transfer of ownership of a group practice and redesignating existing Subdivs. (3) to (14) as Subdivs. (4) to (15) and amended Subsec. (b)(2) by making a conforming change, effective July 1, 2014; P.A. 15-59 amended Subsec. (b)(12) by adding references to expanded school health sites and definitions in Sec. 19a-6r; P.A. 15-146 amended Subsec. (a)(3) by replacing “group practice” with “large group practice”, designating existing provision re physician as Subpara. (A), designating existing provision re group as Subpara. (B) and amending same to replace provision re group of physicians and exception with provision re group of two or more physicians legally organized to render professional services and not employed by or an affiliate of certain entities, and amended Subsec. (a)(10) by designating existing provisions re Subsec. (b)(22) as Subpara. (A) and adding Subpara. (B) re replacement scanner, effective July 1, 2015; P.A. 18-91 replaced references to office with references to unit, and amended Subsec. (d) to replace references to Commissioner of Public Health with references to executive director of Office of Health Strategy, replace “prints notice of intent to adopt regulations in the Connecticut Law Journal” with “posts notice of intent to adopt regulations on the office's Internet web site and the eRegulations System”, and delete provision re adoption of final regulations by December 31, 2011, effective May 14, 2018; P.A. 19-118 amended Subsec. (b)(4) by adding “as defined in subsection (c) of section 19a-490, and”, and replacing reference to Sec. 19a-490(c) with reference to Sec. 19a-490(o), effective July 9, 2019; P.A. 22-47 amended Subsec. (a)(12) by adding reference to an exception to the certificate of need requirement for an increase in licensed bed capacity and Subsec. (b) by adding Subdiv. (23) re an exception to the certificate of need requirement for an increase in licensed bed capacity of certain mental health facilities and added Subsec. (e) re notification of the Office of Health Strategy by a mental health facility seeking to increase licensed bed capacity and Subsec. (f) re reporting by executive director of Office of Health Strategy, effective May 23, 2022.
Annotation to former section 19-73l:
Cited. 33 CS 86.
Annotations to former section 19a-154:
Cited. 200 C. 133; Id., 489; 208 C. 663; 214 C. 321; 226 C. 105; 235 C. 128; 238 C. 216.

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