The bill amends 18 V.S.A. § 9434, which governs the issuance of certificates of need for health care projects in Vermont. It raises the capital cost threshold for requiring a certificate of need from $1,500,000 to $10,000,000 for health care facilities, and from $1,000,000 to $5,000,000 for diagnostic and therapeutic equipment. Additionally, the annual operating expense threshold for health care services or technology has been increased from $500,000 to $3,000,000. The bill also repeals certain provisions related to ambulatory surgical centers and hospitals, streamlining the requirements for these entities. Furthermore, it establishes a new threshold of $50,000,000 for projects requiring a conceptual development phase certificate of need.

In addition to these changes, the bill introduces exclusions from the certificate of need requirements for routine replacements of fully depreciated medical equipment and nonmedical equipment, as well as for emergency ground ambulance services and state-funded health care projects. The act will take effect upon passage and will apply to all new health care projects initiated thereafter, while allowing existing applications to continue under the previous thresholds if they have already been filed.

Statutes affected:
As Introduced: 18-9434, 18-9435
As Passed By the House -- Official: 18-9434, 18-9435
As Passed By the House -- Unofficial: 18-9434, 18-9435
As Passed by Both House and Senate -- Official: 18-9434, 18-9435
As Passed by Both House and Senate -- Unofficial: 18-9434, 18-9435
As Enacted: 18-9434, 18-9435