This bill amends the Code of West Virginia to exempt small format and micro hospitals from the certificate of need review process. Specifically, it introduces new legal language that allows health care facilities with existing licensed hospitals in West Virginia to construct, develop, acquire, or establish small format or micro hospitals. These facilities are defined as having 25 or fewer inpatient beds and emergency room beds, and they may include specific medical equipment and services, all while ensuring that their establishment does not jeopardize the status of existing critical access hospitals in the state. The total cost for these small format or micro hospitals is capped at $100 million.

In addition to the new exemption for small format and micro hospitals, the bill also includes various existing exemptions from the certificate of need process, such as the acquisition of major medical equipment, shared health services between hospitals, and the establishment of certain health facilities. The overall intent of the bill is to streamline the process for establishing smaller healthcare facilities, thereby increasing access to care without the burdensome requirements of the certificate of need review.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 16-2D-11