106 2003 group one exception requests; additional request Medical Assistance long term care participation review

DEPARTMENT OF
PUBLIC WELFARE

2003 Group One Exception Requests; Additional Request Medical Assistance Long Term Care Participation Review

[34 Pa.B. 447]

   The Department of Public Welfare (Department), by statement of policy effective December 18, 1996, adopted an interim policy announcing that it intended to exercise its discretion to refuse to enter into new Medical Assistance (MA) provider agreements and to terminate any provider of MA nursing facility services that sought to increase the number of MA certified nursing facility beds through expansion, unless the Department granted an exception on a case-by-case basis to permit that provider to enroll or expand. (See 26 Pa.B. 5996 (December 14, 1996).) The statement of policy that sets forth the guidelines the Department will use when making its case-by-case exception request decisions was published at 28 Pa.B. 138 (January 10, 1998) and is codified in 55 Pa. Code § 1187.21a (relating to nursing facility exception requests--statement of policy).

   In January 2003, the Department was notified of a change in the scope of a project involving MA nursing facility beds at Loving Care and Kepler Home. The Department issued a determination to the nursing facilities in February 2003 that the project, as proposed, was subject to review under 55 Pa. Code § 1187.21a. In response to that determination, on November 12, 2003, the Department received details regarding the exception request. The 2003 Group One Exception Requests covering the submission period of January 1, 2003, through June 30, 2003, was published at 33 Pa.B. 5479 (November 1, 2003). Therefore, based on the original date of notification to the Department, this request is being added to the 2003 Group One Exception Request public notice published at 33 Pa.B. 5479.

Expansion Projects

Number	Facility	Address	County	Beds
JJ03004	Kepler Home	44 South Market Street Elizabethville, PA 17023	Dauphin	66

   Copies of the previously listed exception requests are available for review by the public during regular business hours. To schedule an appointment to review a request, call [phone].

Public Comment

   Interested persons are invited to submit written comments to this notice within 30 days of this publication to the Department of Public Welfare, Bureau of LTC Programs, Attention: Policy Section, P. O. Box 2675, Harrisburg, PA 17105. Persons with a disability may use the AT&T Relay Service, [phone] (TDD users) or [phone] (voice users).

ESTELLE B. RICHMAN,   
Secretary

   Fiscal Note:  14-NOT-378. No fiscal impact; (8) recommends adoption.

[Pa.B. Doc. No. 04-106. Filed for public inspection January 16, 2004, 9:00 a.m.]