Sec. 19a-493. (Formerly Sec. 19-578). Initial license and renewal. Prior approval for change in ownership. Multicare institution. Regulations.

(a) Upon receipt of an application for an initial license, the Department of Public Health, subject to the provisions of section 19a-491a, shall issue such license if, upon conducting a scheduled inspection and investigation, the department finds that the applicant and facilities meet the requirements established under section 19a-495, provided a license shall be issued to or renewed for an institution, as defined in section 19a-490, only if such institution is not otherwise required to be licensed by the state. If an institution, as defined in subsections (b), (d), (e) and (f) of section 19a-490, applies for license renewal and has been certified as a provider of services by the United States Department of Health and Human Services under Medicare or Medicaid programs within the immediately preceding twelve-month period, or if an institution, as defined in subsection (b) of section 19a-490, is currently certified, the commissioner or the commissioner's designee may waive on renewal the inspection and investigation of such facility required by this section and, in such event, any such facility shall be deemed to have satisfied the requirements of section 19a-495 for the purposes of licensure. Such license shall be valid for two years or a fraction thereof and shall terminate on March thirty-first, June thirtieth, September thirtieth or December thirty-first of the appropriate year. A license issued pursuant to this chapter, unless sooner suspended or revoked, shall be renewable biennially (1) after an unscheduled inspection is conducted by the department, and (2) upon the filing by the licensee, and approval by the department, of a report upon such date and containing such information in such form as the department prescribes and satisfactory evidence of continuing compliance with requirements established under section 19a-495. In the case of an institution, as defined in subsection (d) of section 19a-490, that is also certified as a provider under the Medicare program, the license shall be issued for a period not to exceed three years, to run concurrently with the certification period. Except in the case of a multicare institution, each license shall be issued only for the premises and persons named in the application. Such license shall not be transferable or assignable. Licenses shall be posted in a conspicuous place in the licensed premises.

(b) (1) A nursing home license may be renewed biennially after (A) an unscheduled inspection conducted by the department, (B) submission of the information required by section 19a-491a, and (C) submission of evidence satisfactory to the department that the nursing home is in compliance with the provisions of this chapter, the Public Health Code and licensing regulations.

(2) Any change in the ownership of a facility or institution, as defined in subsection (c) of section 19a-490, owned by an individual, partnership or association or the change in ownership or beneficial ownership of ten per cent or more of the stock of a corporation which owns, conducts, operates or maintains such facility or institution, shall be subject to prior approval of the department after a scheduled inspection of such facility or institution is conducted by the department, provided such approval shall be conditioned upon a showing by such facility or institution to the commissioner that it has complied with all requirements of this chapter, the regulations relating to licensure and all applicable requirements of the Public Health Code. Any such change in ownership or beneficial ownership resulting in a transfer to a person related by blood or marriage to such an owner or beneficial owner shall not be subject to prior approval of the department unless: (A) Ownership or beneficial ownership of ten per cent or more of the stock of a corporation, partnership or association which owns, conducts, operates or maintains more than one facility or institution is transferred; (B) ownership or beneficial ownership is transferred in more than one facility or institution; or (C) the facility or institution is the subject of a pending complaint, investigation or licensure action. If the facility or institution is not in compliance, the commissioner may require the new owner to sign a consent order providing reasonable assurances that the violations shall be corrected within a specified period of time. Notice of any such proposed change of ownership shall be given to the department at least ninety days prior to the effective date of such proposed change. For the purposes of this subdivision, “a person related by blood or marriage” means a parent, spouse, child, brother, sister, aunt, uncle, niece or nephew. For the purposes of this subdivision, a change in the legal form of the ownership entity, including, but not limited to, changes from a corporation to a limited liability company, a partnership to a limited liability partnership, a sole proprietorship to a corporation and similar changes, shall not be considered a change of ownership if the beneficial ownership remains unchanged and the owner provides such information regarding the change to the department as may be required by the department in order to properly identify the current status of ownership and beneficial ownership of the facility or institution. For the purposes of this subdivision, a public offering of the stock of any corporation that owns, conducts, operates or maintains any such facility or institution shall not be considered a change in ownership or beneficial ownership of such facility or institution if the licensee and the officers and directors of such corporation remain unchanged, such public offering cannot result in an individual or entity owning ten per cent or more of the stock of such corporation, and the owner provides such information to the department as may be required by the department in order to properly identify the current status of ownership and beneficial ownership of the facility or institution.

(c) (1) A multicare institution may, under the terms of its existing license, provide behavioral health services or substance use disorder treatment services on the premises of more than one facility, at a satellite unit or at another location outside of its facilities or satellite units that is acceptable to the patient receiving services and is consistent with the patient's assessment and treatment plan.

(2) Any multicare institution that intends to offer services at a satellite unit or other location outside of its facilities or satellite units shall submit an application for approval to offer services at such location to the Department of Public Health. Such application shall be submitted on a form and in the manner prescribed by the Commissioner of Public Health. Not later than forty-five days after receipt of such application, the commissioner shall notify the multicare institution of the approval or denial of such application. If the satellite unit or other location is approved, that satellite unit or location shall be deemed to be licensed in accordance with this section and shall comply with the applicable requirements of this chapter and regulations adopted under this chapter.

(3) The Commissioner of Public Health may adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, to carry out the provisions of this subsection. The Commissioner of Public Health may implement policies and procedures necessary to administer the provisions of this subsection while in the process of adopting such policies and procedures as regulation, provided the commissioner prints notice of intent to adopt regulations in the Connecticut Law Journal not later than twenty days after the date of implementation. Policies and procedures implemented pursuant to this section shall be valid until the time final regulations are adopted.

(1953, 1955, S. 2053d; P.A. 77-304, S. 4; 77-601, S. 3, 11; 77-614, S. 323, 587, 610; P.A. 78-303, S. 85, 136; P.A. 79-46, S. 2, 3; P.A. 80-17; 80-199; P.A. 81-135; 81-201, S. 1; P.A. 84-546, S. 168, 173; P.A. 85-146, S. 2, 4; P.A. 89-350, S. 7; P.A. 90-13, S. 7; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-8, S. 28, 63; P.A. 93-381, S. 9, 39; P.A. 95-257, S. 12, 21, 58; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 99-2, S. 15, 72; P.A. 00-10; P.A. 05-272, S. 6; P.A. 09-232, S. 14; P.A. 10-117, S. 1; P.A. 13-249, S. 3; P.A. 14-211, S. 2; P.A. 15-242, S. 40.)

History: Sec. 19-34 transferred to Sec. 19-578 in 1977; P.A. 77-304 added provisions re report of portions of federal income tax information as condition for license renewal and re notice and approval of proposed changes in ownership; P.A. 77-601 added provisions re approval and inspection of institutions required for issuance and renewal, respectively, of licenses; P.A. 77-614 and P.A. 78-303 replaced commissioner and department of health commissioner and department of health services, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 79-46 rephrased proviso re license issuance or renewal and allowed issuance or renewal only if institution not otherwise required to be licensed by state; P.A. 80-17 allowed waiver of inspection and investigation if currently certified as provider of services by U.S. Department of Health and Human Resources or certified within last 12 months; P.A. 80-199 rephrased provision re prior approval of change in ownership; P.A. 81-135 specified that inspections conducted by the department of health services prior to the initial licensure of a facility or prior to the transfer of ownership of a nursing home shall be “scheduled” inspections and that inspections conducted for purposes of license renewal shall be “unscheduled”; P.A. 81-201 replaced requirement that a nursing home owner submit pertinent portions of his personal Federal Income Tax for purposes of annual license renewal with authorization for the department of health services to require the submission of “information related to the character and financial condition” of the owner; Sec. 19-578 transferred to Sec. 19a-493 in 1983; P.A. 84-546 made technical changes; P.A. 85-146 authorized the issuance of provisional licenses; P.A. 89-350 divided the existing section into Subsecs. (a) and (b), provided for biennial licensure, added the language in Subsec. (b) on requirements for the renewal of a nursing home license and on consent orders and made technical changes; P.A. 90-13 made technical change in Subsec. (a); June Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-8 amended Subsec. (b) to specify when changes re transfer or change of ownership to relatives are not subject to department approval and defined “a person related by blood or marriage”; P.A. 93-381 replaced department of health services with department of public health and addiction services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 95-257 replaced Commissioner and Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Commissioner and Department of Public Health, effective July 1, 1995; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 99-2 amended Subsec. (b) by expanding definition of “a person related by blood or marriage” to include a “brother, sister, aunt, uncle, niece or nephew” and by adding provision re change in legal form of ownership entity, effective June 29, 1999; P.A. 00-10 made technical changes and added provisions re a public offering of stock that shall not be considered a change in ownership or beneficial ownership; P.A. 05-272 amended Subsec. (a) to remove “without charge” re biennial renewal of certain health care institution licenses; P.A. 09-232 amended Subsec. (a) by substituting United States Department of Health and Human Services for United States Department of Health and Human Resources and by adding exception re frequency of Department of Public Health inspections for Medicare-certified provider institutions, effective July 1, 2009; P.A. 10-117 amended Subsec. (a) by deleting provisions re provisional license, by deleting reference to Sec. 19a-490(c), by adding “on renewal” re inspection and investigation waiver, by changing “requirements” to “requirements established under section 19a-495”, by deleting reference to Sec. 19a-490(e) or (f), by replacing provision re inspection of institution certified as Medicare provider with provision re 3-year period of licensure for institution certified as Medicare provider and by making technical changes; P.A. 13-249 amended Subsec. (b)(1)(B) to delete “subsections (a) and (c) of section 19a-491a and any other information required by the commissioner pursuant to subsection (b) of said” and add “19a-491a”, effective January 1, 2014; P.A. 14-211 amended Subsec. (a) by deleting reference to Sec. 19a-490(d), (e) or (f), adding provision re multicare institution and making technical changes and added Subsec. (c) re multicare institutions; P.A. 15-242 amended Subsec. (c)(2) to make technical changes.

Notation

Annotation to former section 19-578:

Department did not act illegally, arbitrarily or in abuse of its discretion in refusing a license to plaintiffs for more beds than it had nurses as required by regulations. 26 CS 452.