§ 1320a–1 — Limitation On Use Of Federal Funds For Capital Expenditures

(a) The purpose of this section is to assure that Federal funds appropriated under subchapters XVIII and XIX are not used to support unnecessary capital expenditures made by or on behalf of health care facilities which are reimbursed under any of such subchapters and that, to the extent possible, reimbursement under such subchapters shall support planning activities with respect to health services and facilities in the various States. (b) The Secretary, after consultation with the Governor (or other chief executive officer) and with appropriate local public officials, shall make an agreement with any State which is able and willing to do so under which a designated planning agency (which shall be an agency described in clause (ii) of subsection (d)(1)(B) that has a governing body or advisory board at least half of whose members represent consumer interests) will— (1) make, and submit to the Secretary together with such supporting materials as he may find necessary, findings and recommendations with respect to capital expenditures proposed by or on behalf of any health care facility in such State within the field of its responsibilities, (2) receive from other agencies described in clause (ii) of subsection (d)(1)(B), and submit to the Secretary together with such supporting material as he may find necessary, the findings and recommendations of such other agencies with respect to capital expenditures proposed by or on behalf of health care facilities in such State within the fields of their respective responsibilities, and (3) establish and maintain procedures pursuant to which a person proposing any such capital expenditure may appeal a recommendation by the designated agency and will be granted an opportunity for a fair hearing by such agency or person other than the designated agency as the Governor (or other chief executive officer) may designate to hold such hearings, (c) The Secretary shall pay any such State from the general fund in the Treasury, in advance or by way of reimbursement as may be provided in the agreement with it (and may make adjustments in such payments on account of overpayments or underpayments previously made), for the reasonable cost of performing the functions specified in subsection (b). (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), if the Secretary determines that— (A) neither the planning agency designated in the agreement described in subsection (b) nor an agency described in clause (ii) of subparagraph (B) of this paragraph had been given notice of any proposed capital expenditure (in accordance with such procedure or in such detail as may be required by such agency) at least 60 days prior to obligation for such expenditure; or (i) the planning agency so designated or an agency so described had received such timely notice of the intention to make such capital expenditure and had, within a reasonable period after receiving such notice and prior to obligation for such expenditure, notified the person proposing such expenditure that the expenditure would not be in conformity with the standards, criteria, or plans developed by such agency or any other agency described in clause (ii) for adequate health care facilities in such State or in the area for which such other agency has responsibility, and (ii) the planning agency so designated had, prior to submitting to the Secretary the findings referred to in subsection (b)— (I) consulted with, and taken into consideration the findings and recommendations of, the State planning agencies established pursuant to sections 314(a) and 604(a) of the Public Health Service Act [42 U.S.C. 246(a), 291d(a)] (to the extent that either such agency is not the agency so designated) as well as the public or nonprofit private agency or organization responsible for the comprehensive regional, metropolitan area, or other local area plan or plans referred to in section 314(b) of the Public Health Service Act [42 U.S.C. 246(b)] and covering the area in which the health care facility proposing such capital expenditure is located (where such agency is not the agency designated in the agreement), or, if there is no such agency, such other public or nonprofit private agency or organization (if any) as performs, as determined in accordance with criteria included in regulations, similar functions, and (II) granted to the person proposing such capital expenditure an opportunity for a fair hearing with respect to such findings; (2) If the Secretary, after submitting the matters involved to the advisory council established or designated under subsection (i), determines that an exclusion of expenses related to any capital expenditure of any health care facility would discourage the operation or expansion of such facility which has demonstrated to his satisfaction proof of capability to provide comprehensive health care services (including institutional services) efficiently, effectively, and economically, or would otherwise be inconsistent with the effective organization and delivery of health services or the effective administration of subchapter XVIII or XIX, he shall not exclude such expenses pursuant to paragraph (1). (e) Where a person obtains under lease or comparable arrangement any facility or part thereof, or equipment for a facility, which would have been subject to an exclusion under subsection (d) if the person had acquired it by purchase, the Secretary shall (1) in computing such person’s rental expense in determining the Federal payments to be made under subchapters XVIII and XIX with respect to services furnished in such facility, deduct the amount which in his judgment is a reasonable equivalent of the amount that would have been excluded if the person had acquired such facility or such equipment by purchase, and (2) in computing such person’s return on equity capital deduct any amount deposited under the terms of the lease or comparable arrangement. (f) Any person dissatisfied with a determination by the Secretary under this section may within six months following notification of such determination request the Secretary to reconsider such determination. A determination by the Secretary under this section shall not be subject to administrative or judicial review. (g) For the purposes of this section, a “capital expenditure” is an expenditure which, under generally accepted accounting principles, is not properly chargeable as an expense of operation and maintenance and which (1) exceeds $600,000 (or such lesser amount as the State may establish), (2) changes the bed capacity of the facility with respect to which such expenditure is made, or (3) substantially changes the services of the facility with respect to which such expenditure is made. For purposes of clause (1) of the preceding sentence, the cost of the studies, surveys, designs, plans, working drawings, specifications, and other activities essential to the acquisition, improvement, expansion, or replacement of the plant and equipment with respect to which such expenditure is made shall be included in determining whether such expenditure exceeds the dollar amount specified in clause (1). (h) The provisions of this section shall not apply to a religious nonmedical health care institution (as defined in section 1395x(ss)(1) of this title). (1) The Secretary shall establish a national advisory council, or designate an appropriate existing national advisory council, to advise and assist him in the preparation of general regulations to carry out the purposes of this section and on policy matters arising in the administration of this section, including the coordination of activities under this section with those under other parts of this chapter or under other Federal or federally assisted health programs. (2) The Secretary shall make appropriate provision for consultation between and coordination of the work of the advisory council established or designated under paragraph (1) and the Federal Hospital Council, the National Advisory Health Council, the Health Insurance Benefits Advisory Council, and other appropriate national advisory councils with respect to matters bearing on the purposes and administration of this section and the coordination of activities under this section with related Federal health programs. (3) If an advisory council is established by the Secretary under paragraph (1), it shall be composed of members who are not otherwise in the regular full-time employ of the United States, and who shall be appointed by the Secretary without regard to the civil service laws from among leaders in the fields of the fundamental sciences, the medical sciences, and the organization, delivery, and financing of health care, and persons who are State or local officials or are active in community affairs or public or civic affairs or who are representative of minority groups. Members of such advisory council, while attending meetings of the council or otherwise serving on business of the council, shall be entitled to receive compensation at rates fixed by the Secretary, but not exceeding the maximum rate specified at the time of such service for grade GS–18 in section 5332 of title 5, including traveltime, and while away from their homes or regular places of business they may also be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, as authorized by section 5703 of such title 5 for persons in the Government service employed intermittently. (j) A capital expenditure made by or on behalf of a health care facility shall not be subject to review pursuant to this section if 75 percent of the patients who can reasonably be expected to use the service with respect to which the capital expenditure is made will be individuals enrolled in an eligible organization as defined in section 1395mm(b) of this title, and if the Secretary determines that such capital expenditure is for services and facilities which are needed by such organization in order to operate efficiently and economically and which are not otherwise readily accessible to such organization because— (1) the facilities do not provide common services at the same site (as usually provided by the organization), (2) the facilities are not available under a contract of reasonable duration, (3) full and equal medical staff privileges in the facilities are not available, (4) arrangements with such facilities are not administratively feasible, or (5) the purchase of such services is more costly than if the organization provided the services directly.