Related organizations

1. Except as provided in subsection 4, costs applicable to services, facilities, and supplies furnished to a provider by a related organization may not exceed the lower of the cost to the related organization or the price of comparable services, facilities, or supplies purchased elsewhere primarily in the local market. The provider shall identify the related organizations and costs in the cost report. 2. A provider may lease a facility from a related organization within the meaning of ratesetting principles. In such case, the rent paid to the lessor by the provider is not allowable as cost. The provider may include in its cost the allowable costs of ownership of the facility. These costs are property insurance, depreciation as provided for in section 75-02-07.1-15, interest on the mortgage as provided for in section 75-02-07.1-16, and real estate taxes as provided for in section 75-02-07.1-17. Other operating expenses of the related organization, relating to the leased facility, are not includable by the provider as an allowable cost of ownership, but may be included as allowable operating expenses subject to subsection 1. 3. The relationship between a provider and a related organization at the time a transaction between the two parties occurs must govern the treatment of cost regardless of subsequent events that may change the relationship between the parties. 4. In the case of a facility acquired through purchase of shares, interest and depreciation expense are treated in the same manner as if the capital assets of the acquired corporation were acquired as an ongoing operation by the acquiring entity on the day the secretary of state issues a certificate of dissolution of the acquired corporation if organized in North Dakota, or on the day the acquired corporation is irrevocably dissolved if organized other than in North Dakota, provided the transaction has all of the following characteristics: a. The facility was owned and operated by the acquired corporation; b. The acquired corporation is irrevocably dissolved, and all of its capital assets become the property of the acquiring entity, within one year after the first day on which any ownership interest in the acquired corporation was acquired by the acquiring entity; and c. Neither the acquiring entity nor any related organization of the acquiring entity has had any ownership interest in the acquired corporation, or any ownership interest in any related organization of the acquired corporation, for at least ten years prior to the day the acquiring entity, or a related organization of the acquiring entity, first acquired any ownership interest in the acquired corporation. 5. For purposes of subsection 4, "acquiring entity" means the entity that, upon dissolution of the acquired corporation, owns all the capital assets formerly owned by the acquired corporation.