Today, the New York State Department of Health released extensive information and GUIDELINES regarding changes of ownership for LHCSAs and applications for licensure. This guidance has been in the making since 2018, when the Public Health Law was amended to prohibit the Public Health and Health Planning Council from approving new LHCSA applications unless there was a “public need” for such a LHCSA, the character, competence and “standing in the community” of the LHCSA’s owners, directors, and other stakeholders was established, and the LHCSA demonstrated that it had financial resources to operate the agency.
Today’s Dear Administrator Letter establishes that:
- The public need methodology will apply to all LHCSA applications submitted on or after April 1, 2020.
- The public need methodology includes a rebuttable presumption of no need for additional LHCSAs in a county if there are 5 or more LHCSAs actively serving patients within the county as of April 1, 2020.
- A LHCSA applicant can overcome the presumption of no need based on local factors related to an applicant’s services or planning area, including, but not limited to:
- the demographics and/or health status of the patients in the planning area or the State, as applicable;
- documented evidence of the unduplicated number of patients on waiting lists who are appropriate for and desire admission to a LHCSA, but who experience a long waiting time for placement;
- the number and capacity of currently operating LHCSAs;
- the quality of services provided by existing agencies;
- the availability and accessibility of workforce;
- personnel and resources dedicated to adding and training additional members of the workforce including committed resources in an organized training program;
- cultural competency of existing agencies; and,
- subpopulations requiring specialty services.
Applications for licensure based on change of ownership for LHCSAs actively serving at least 25 patients will not be subject to public need review and shall be evaluated only on financial feasibility and the character and competence of the proposed operator, unless the proposed operator seeks to serve patients outside of the agency’s approved counties.
LHCSAs affiliated with an Assisted Living Program (ALP), Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), Nurse Family Partnership (NFP), or Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) will be exempt from the public need methodology if the agency exclusively serves patients within those programs.
All applications will be reviewed for character and competence.
The DOH’s DAL also provided a link to a new application for licensure, available HERE, and FAQs, which can be accessed HERE
If you are considering a LHCSA acquisition or sale, or are in the process of a change of ownership, or if you have general questions about this development, please contact us.