|
HB 2634 (Laws 2011, Chapter 96) requires the Department to revise rules to reduce costs and streamline the regulatory process for health care institutions, including those providing behavioral health services. The new law also requires the Department to "facilitate licensure of integrated health programs that provide both behavioral and physical health services." The statutes in A.R.S. Title 36, Chapter 4 provide the authority for the licensure of health care institutions. A.R.S. § 36-405 allows the Department to classify and subclassify health care institutions and to adopt rules "to establish minimum standards and requirements for the construction, modification and licensure of health care institutions necessary to assure the public health, safety and welfare." A.R.S. § 36-405 also states that the "standards and requirements shall relate to the construction, equipment, sanitation, staffing for medical, nursing and personal care services, and record keeping pertaining to the administration of medical, nursing and personal care services, in accordance with generally accepted practices of health care."
As part of implementing Laws 2011, Chapter 96, the Department has reviewed all of the rules regulating the licensure of health care institutions, including those providing behavioral health services, and is considering the current structure and functions of health care institutions, the licensing requirements for facilities, and the types of services provided at different types of health care institutions. The Department has also reviewed the public comments received and is continuing to collect public feedback using a forum for exchanging ideas and agreeing, disagreeing, or expanding on other comments. Stakeholders are encouraged to comment on these questions and respond/reply to the comments made by others.
The Department held four public forums to share information about the rulemaking to implement Laws 2011, Chapter 96 (HB 2634). The forum presentation described the Department's preliminary plan for restructuring the health care institution rules to accommodate integrated care, including the addition of new Articles for behavioral health inpatient facilities, behavioral health residential facilities, and outpatient facilities.
The Department is drafting rules for these types of facilities and will be providing information specific to these rulemakings on separate webpages. The new webpages will contain drafts of the new rules and notes from meetings with stakeholder workgroups to review and revise the drafts. The new webpages will also contain a link for stakeholders to use when commenting on the drafts.
The following chart provides a list of the three rulemaking areas, a link to the new webpage (when available), and a schedule approximating when the workgroup meetings will occur:
| Area of Focus |
Workgroup Meeting Dates |
| Behavioral Health Inpatient Facilities (Level 1 Residential Treatment Centers and Level 1 Sub-acute) |
Late March 2012 through Early May 2012 |
| Behavioral Health Residential Facilities (Level 2 and Level 3 Residential Centers) |
Mid-July 2012 through August 2012 |
| Outpatient Facilities (Outpatient Treatment Centers, Outpatient Clinics and Opioid Treatment Centers) |
Mid-November 2012 through Early January 2013 |
Please continue to visit this website for updated information regarding this rulemaking.
Resources
Note: Information provided in PDF files, unless otherwise indicated.
|
