Current through Register Vol. 46, No. 39, September 25, 2024
(a)
The factors for determining public need for the establishment of medical
facilities shall include, but not be limited to:
(1) the current and projected population
characteristics of the service area, including relevant health status
indicators and socioeconomic conditions of the population;
(2) normative criteria for age and sex
specific utilization rates to correct for unnecessary utilization of medical
facilities and health services;
(3)
standards for facility and service utilization, comparing actual utilization to
capacity, taking into consideration fluctuation of daily census for certain
services, the geography of the service area, size of units, and specialized
service networks;
(4) the patterns
of in and out migration for specific services and patient preference or
origin;
(5) the need that the
population served or to be served has for the services proposed to be offered
or expanded, and the extent to which all residents in the area, and in
particular low income persons, racial or ethnic minorities, women, handicapped
persons, and other underserved groups and the elderly, will have access to
those services;
(6) in cases
involving the reduction or elimination of a service, including those involving
the relocation of a facility or service, the extent to which need will be met
adequately and the effect of the reduction, elimination, or relocation of the
service or facility on the ability of low income persons, racial and ethnic
minorities, women, handicapped persons, and other underserved groups, and the
elderly, to obtain needed health care;
(7) the contribution of the proposed service
or facility in meeting the health needs of members of medically underserved
groups which have traditionally experienced difficulties in obtaining equal
access to health services (for example, low income persons, racial and ethnic
minorities, women, and handicapped persons), particularly for those whose needs
are identified in the medical facilities plan. For the purpose of determining
the extent to which the proposed service or facility will be accessible to such
persons, the following shall be considered:
(i) the extent to which medically underserved
populations currently use the applicant's services in comparison to the
percentage of the population in the applicant's service area which is medically
underserved, and the extent to which medically underserved populations are
expected to use the proposed services if approved;
(ii) the performance of the applicant in
meeting its obligations under applicable civil rights statutes prohibiting
discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, handicap, sex, and
age;
(iii) the extent to which
Medicare, Medicaid and medically indigent patients are or will be served by the
applicant; and
(iv) the extent to
which the applicant offers a range of means by which a person will have access
to its services.
(b) The evaluative procedure for review of
public need pursuant to section
2801-a
(3) of the Public Health Law shall include,
but not be limited to:
(1) description of
proposal as submitted by applicant for establishment;
(2) identification of use rates in the
service area for the type(s) of facility(s) and service(s) involved;
(3) identification of current and projected
user population of the service area;
(4) identification of resulting estimate of
future quantitative need as projected for a period of five years from last
complete calendar year reported;
(5) identification of existing facility(s)
and service(s), which are the same as those proposed by the applicant available
in the service area;
(6)
identification of existing facility(s) and service(s), which are the same as
those proposed by the applicant, which will be available to meet future need in
the service area;
(7)
identification of facility(s) and service(s), which are the same as those
proposed by the applicant and which have been approved for establishment and/or
construction but are not in operation in the service area;
(8) identification of resulting resource(s)
available in service area five years in future to meet need;
(9) identification of percent of need met for
proposed facility(s) and service(s);
(10) description of the current utilization
for all facility(s) and service(s) which are the same as those proposed by
applicant in the service area;
(11)
description of the current utilization for allied or alternate facilities and
services in the service area;
(12)
description of any migration patterns for health care in the service
area;
(13) description of any
evidence of inappropriateness of placement in the service area for the subject
facility(s), service(s) and related service(s); and
(14) description of the distribution of
facility(s) and service(s) in relation to the population's
distribution.
(c) The
public need analysis for each proposal will include a determination of the
appropriate service area. The factors to be considered by the Public Health
Council for determining the appropriate service area shall include, but not be
limited to, the substantive criteria set forth in subdivision (c) of section
709.1 of this Chapter.
(d) Any application for establishment wherein
a determination of public need is made pursuant to this section shall be
subject to the following:
(1) The Public
Health Council may, during the processing of an application, propose to
disapprove the application solely on the basis of a determination of public
need in advance of its consideration of the other review criteria required by
Public Health Law, section 2801-a(3) without, however, waiving its right to
consider such other criteria at a later date.
(2) In the event the Public Health Council
proposes to disapprove an application on the basis of a lack of public need and
the applicant requests a hearing, the Public Health Council may direct the
completion of the other reviews required by Public Health Law, section
2801-a(3). The application shall then be returned to the Public Health Council
to consider such reviews, the results of which may then be included as grounds
for the proposed disapproval to be considered at the hearing. If the Public
Health Council directs the completion of such reviews, a copy of the report
containing the results of the reviews shall be mailed to the applicant at least
60 days prior to the date set for hearing.
(3) In the processing of an application, the
commissioner may recommend disapproval based on a review limited to a
determination of public need. In the event the Public Health Council does not
concur with the commissioner's recommendation of disapproval, it shall return
the application to the department at which time all other reviews required by
Public Health Law, section 2801-a(3) shall be completed. At such time as all
reviews are completed, the application shall be returned to the Public Health
Council for action.