LAC 48:I.7603. Criteria for Designation as a CAH

A. A hospital must submit an application to the BPCRH and must meet the following criteria, or affirm that it can meet these criteria at the time of certification, to be designated as a CAH: 1. be a licensed hospital; 2. be currently participating in the Medicare program and meet applicable conditions of participation; 3. be located in a rural area: a. may be a rural census tract in a Metropolitan Statistical Area as determined under the Goldsmith Modification, originally published in the Federal Register on February 27, 1992 and updated October 1, 2004; or b. qualifies as a "rural hospital" under the Rural Preservation Act, RS 40:100.143; 4.a. be located more than a 35-mile drive or a 15-mile drive in mountainous terrain or areas with secondary roads, from the nearest hospital or CAH; or b. be certified as a necessary provider by qualifying as a "rural hospital" under the Louisiana Rural Hospital Preservation Act RS 40:1300.143; and meeting at least one of the following: i. be located in a primary care health professional shortage area (HPSA) or a medically underserved area (MUA); or ii. be located in a parish in which the percentage of Medicare beneficiaries is higher than the percentage of Medicare beneficiaries residing in the state; or iii. be located in a parish in which the percentage of the population under 100 percent of the federal poverty level is higher than the percentage of the state population under 100 percent of the federal poverty level; c. provide not more than 25 acute care inpatient beds or swing-beds, meeting such standards as the secretary may establish, for providing inpatient care that does not exceed, as determined on an annual, average basis, 96 hours per patient.