SB389 Summary

• Amends Section 22-21-260 of the Code of Alabama 1975 to include psychiatric residential treatment facilities providing psychiatric and therapeutic services to individuals under age 21 outside acute care hospital settings in the definition of "health care facility" subject to certificate of need (CON) requirements.

• Requires the State Health Planning and Development Agency and State Health Coordinating Council to adopt rules for processing CON applications from existing providers of psychiatric residential treatment that become subject to CON requirements.

• Allows existing accredited psychiatric residential treatment facilities for persons under 21 to obtain CON approval by filing application within 60 days of the act's effective date without a letter of intent and using a nonsubstantive review process.

• Exempts existing psychiatric residential treatment facilities from Medicaid regional care organizations and permits them to continue operating during CON review and licensing processes.

• Prohibits new psychiatric residential treatment facilities for persons under age 21 from being established after the effective date without obtaining a certificate of need.