2017 -- S 0577

========

LC001691

========

     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2017

____________

A N   A C T

RELATING TO HEALTH CARE FACILITIES - LICENSING

     Introduced By: Senators Sosnowski, Sheehan, Miller, Crowley, and Goldin

     Date Introduced: March 15, 2017

     Referred To: Senate Health & Human Services

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Section 23-17-4 of the General Laws in Chapter 23-17 entitled "Licensing

of Health-Care Facilities" is hereby amended to read as follows:

     23-17-4. License required for health-care facility operation.

     (a) No person acting severally or jointly with any other person shall establish, conduct, or

maintain a health-care facility in this state without a license under this chapter; provided,

however, that any person, firm, corporation, or other entity that provides volunteer, registered and

licensed practical nurses to the public shall not be required to have a license as a health-care

facility.

     (b) Each location at which a health-care facility provides services shall be licensed;

provided, however, that a hospital or organized ambulatory-care facility, or their wholly owned

and controlled affiliates, shall be permitted to provide medical services at additional locations

without the requirement of a separate additional premise, organized ambulatory care facility,

physical space or other department license or approval shall be permitted to provide, solely on an

ambulatory basis, limited physician services, other limited, professional health-care services,

and/or other limited, professional mental-health-care services in conjunction with services

provided by and at community health centers, community mental-health centers, organized

ambulatory-care facilities or other licensed health-care facilities, physicians' offices, and facilities

operated by the department of corrections without establishing such locations as additional

licensed premises of the hospital or organized ambulatory-care facility; provided, that a health-

care facility licensed as an organized ambulatory-care facility in the state, may provide services at

other locations operated by that licensed organized ambulatory-care facility, without the

requirement of a separate, organized ambulatory-care facility license for such other locations. The

department is further authorized to adopt rules and regulations to accomplish the purpose of this

section, including, but not limited to, defining minimum requirements applicable to all locations

where medical services are rendered, and affirming that the medical service provider remains

subject to discipline for failure to comply with applicable professional and legal standards, as

long as such regulations apply equally to all medical service providers. For purposes of this

section, an organized ambulatory-care facility or other licensed health-care facility shall not

include a freestanding, emergency-care facility. The department is further authorized to adopt

rules and regulations to accomplish the purpose of this section., including, but not limited to,

defining "limited physician services, other limited, professional health-care services, and/or other

limited, professional mental-health-care services."

     (c) The reimbursement rates for the services rendered in the settings listed in subsection

(b) shall be subject to negotiations between the hospitals, organized, ambulatory-care facilities,

and the payors, respectively, as defined in § 23-17.12-2.

     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

========

LC001691

========

LC001691 - Page 2 of 3

EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO HEALTH CARE FACILITIES - LICENSING

***

     This act would allow physician practices to maintain their license standards, even if a

hospital system owns the practice.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

========

LC001691

========

LC001691 - Page 3 of 3