Louisiana Administrative Code
Title 48 - PUBLIC HEALTH-GENERAL
Part I - General Administration
Subpart 5 - Health Planning
Chapter 115 - Health Resource requirements
Subchapter B - Facility or Service-Specific Criteria and Standards
Section I-11535 - Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome

1. It is recognized that certain factors may limit accessibility of health care facility beds to persons who have been diagnosed as having Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) or even persons who have tested positive for evidence of the virus (HIV) in the body. Many times persons must remain in a hospital for a significant number of days at $450-$800 per day because of the inaccessibility of nursing home care. Sixty percent of the cases documented to date are from Orleans Parish. For these reasons, a need exists for 100 beds which may be approved to care for these patients, not necessarily in the same facility. The Section 1122 approval process will consider the following priorities:

2. Current estimates predict uninterrupted growth in the size of the AIDS population since no effective medical intervention exists. Each 12-14 months the total number of cases doubles. Since 1981, when these cases were first officially counted, there have been 419 diagnosed AIDS cases and 65 percent of 1988, an additional 400 or more new cases are expected to develop.

1.Section 1122 applications for health facility beds specifically for patients with Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome shall be submitted on the full review application form (nine copies) and shall be accepted by the Division of Policy, Planning and Evaluation on a schedule to be announced in the Potpourri Section of the Louisiana Register. All the policies and procedures contained in the Policies and Guidelines for the Section 1122 Program will be applied to these applications. Neither the beds nor the ongoing utilization in this facility will be counted in determining the need for other nursing home facilities. The Section 1122 approval for these specialized beds is limited for the purpose of serving the AIDS population, except, if an existing facility converts beds for this purpose, the Section 1122 approval will be reinstated upon discontinuance of the need to serve this population.

2. The applications will be considered on a comparative basis and will be referred to a committee of knowledgeable professionals who will review the applications and provide written comments to the Division. The following will be members of the committee: The assistant secretary of the Office of family Security, the assistance secretary of the Office of Preventive and Public Health Services, and the assistant secretary of the Office of Charity Hospital at New Orleans, the administrator of the Division of Licensing and Certification. the chair of the Statewide health Coordinating Council, the ombudsman coordinator of the Governor's Office of Elderly Affairs and the director of the Bureau of Civil Rights of DHHR.

3. Division of policy, Planning and Evaluation shall forward copies of the applications to be review to the above noted committee members after such applications are declared complete. The transmittal will include the date of the public hearing and the decision due date. The Division shall also forward a summary of the public hearing comments to the committee members. Each committee member shall forward comments ad recommendations to the Division of Policy, Planning and Evaluation. These shall be received by the division at least five working days prior to the decision due date.