State Health Plan
The State Health Plan is adopted under Maryland’s health planning law, Maryland Code Annotated, Health-General §§19-114 – 19-131. The State Health Plan serves two purposes:
- It establishes health care policy to guide the Commission’s actions. Maryland law requires that all State agencies and departments involved in regulating, funding, or planning for the health care industry carry out their responsibilities in a manner consistent with the State Health Plan and available fiscal resources; and
- It is the legal foundation for the Commission’s decisions in its regulatory programs. These programs ensure that changes in services for health care facilities are appropriate and consistent with the Commission’s policies. The State Health Plan contains policies, methodologies, standards, and criteria that the Commission uses in making decisions on applications for Certificates of Need, Certificates of Conformance, and Certificates of Ongoing Performance.
Health Care Facilities and Services
COMAR 10.24.11 General Surgical Services
This Chapter of the State Health Plan supersedes and replaces the previously adopted State Health Plan for Facilities and Services: Ambulatory Surgical Services, COMAR 10.24.11, and is applicable to all matters regarding CON review of surgical facilities and services except for open-heart surgery and organ transplantation, addressed respectively in COMAR 10.24.17 and 10.24.15.
The State Health Plan for Facilities and Services: General Surgical Services is incorporated by reference.
COMAR 10.24.19 Freestanding Medical Facilities
This Chapter establishes policies, certificate of need rules and review standards for Freestanding Medical Facilities.
The State Health Plan for Facilities and Services: Freestanding Medical Facilities is incorporated by reference.
10.24.16: Home Health Agency Services
The Home Health Agency Chapter furthers the mission of health planning, which is to plan to meet the current and future health care system needs of all Maryland residents by assuring access, quality, and cost-effectiveness.
The State Health Plan for Facilities and Services: Home Health Agency Services is incorporated by reference.
The Hospice Services chapter is to provide a policy blueprint for the Commission and affected industries to address issues related to the provision of hospice services. It also provides procedural rules and standards as well as a methodology to guide the Certificate of Need review process.
The State Health Plan for Facilities and Services: Hospice Services is incorporated by reference.
COMAR 10.24.20 Comprehensive Care Facility Services
The Nursing Chapter furthers the mission of health planning, which is to plan to meet the current and future health care system needs of all Maryland residents by assuring access, quality, and cost-effectiveness.
The State Health Plan for Facilities and Services: Comprehensive Care Facility (Nursing Home) Services is incorporated by reference.
COMAR 10.24.14 Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Intermediate Care Facility Treatment Services
The Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Treatment Services Chapter addresses all alcohol and drug abuse treatment facilities. The regulations apply to acute alcohol and drug abuse treatment and intermediate care facilities for alcohol and drug abuse rehabilitation and subacute detoxification.
In this chapter, the following documents are incorporated by reference.
- The State Health Plan for Facilities and Services: Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Intermediate Care Facility Treatment Services.
- Supplement No. 1.
COMAR 10.24.07 Residential Treatment Centers
These regulations establish policies and certificate of need standards for Residential Treatment Centers.
The State Health Plan for Facilities and Services: Residential Treatment Centers is incorporated by reference.
Hospitals and Specialized Services
COMAR 10.24.10 Acute Care Hospital Services
The Acute Care Hospital Services Chapter establishes health care policy to guide the Commission's actions. Maryland law requires that all State agencies and departments involved in regulating, funding, or planning for the health care industry carry out their responsibilities in a manner consistent with the State Health Plan and available fiscal resources.
The State Health Plan for Facilities and Services: Acute Care Hospital Services is incorporated by reference.
COMAR 10.24.12 Acute Hospital Inpatient Obstetric Services
The Acute Hospital Inpatient Obstetric Services chapter focuses on hospital obstetric services and establishes guidelines for a Certificate of Need review of applications for a new hospital obstetric service, based on policies and standards of access, cost effectiveness and quality.
The State Health Plan for Facilities and Services: Acute Hospital Inpatient Obstetric Services (Supplement No. 1) is incorporated by reference.
COMAR 10.24.21 Acute Psychiatric Services
These regulations establish policies and certificate of need standards for acute psychiatric services.
The State Health Plan for Facilities and Services: Acute Psychiatric Services is incorporated by reference.
COMAR 10.24.08 Special Hospitals - Chronic Services
This Chapter of the State Health Plan ensures that actions by the Commission with respect to special hospital-chronic services are guided by the objective of meeting the current and future needs of Maryland residents.
The State Health Plan for Facilities and Services: Special Hospital - Chronic Services is incorporated by reference.
COMAR 10.24.09 Specialized Health Care Services - Acute Inpatient Rehabilitation Services
The Acute Inpatient Rehabilitation Services Chapter applies to freestanding hospitals and distinct units that are engaged in acute inpatient rehabilitation and have licensed rehabilitation beds or plan to apply for a license, and applicants who propose to establish such services. It includes all of the following subcategories of acute inpatient rehabilitation: comprehensive inpatient rehabilitation, brain injury, spinal cord injury, and infant and early childhood developmental programs.
In this chapter, the following documents are incorporated by reference.
- The State Health Plan for Facilities and Services: Specialized Health Care Services — Acute Inpatient Rehabilitation Services.
- Supplement No. 1.
COMAR 10.24.15 Specialized Health Care Services - Organ Transplant Services
The Specialized Health Care Services -Organ Transplant Services Chapter focuses on organ transplant services. For purposes of regulation under this chapter, organ transplantation refers to the major solid organs (kidney, liver, pancreas, heart, and lung), intestine or small bowel, hemato-poietic stem cells, and other transplantable cells.
The State Health Plan for Facilities and Services: Specialized Health Care Services — Organ Transplant Services is incorporated by reference.
The Cardiac and PCI Chapter establishes policies, certificate of need rules and review standards, and a need methodology for adult and pediatric cardiac surgery programs, and therapeutic catheterization services.
The State Health Plan for Facilities and Services: Specialized Health Care Services — Cardiac Surgery and Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Services is incorporated by reference.
COMAR 10.24.18 Specialized Health Care Services - Neonatal Intensive Care Services
The Neonatal Intensive Care Services Chapter regulates neonatal intensive care services for levels III, III+, and IV as defined in the Maryland Perinatal System standards. The chapter also includes neonatal polices for Level I & II hospitals.
In this chapter, the following documents are incorporated by reference.
- The State Health Plan: Specialized Health Care Services — Neonatal Intensive Care Services.
- Supplement No. 1.
- Supplement No. 2.
COMAR 10.24.01–10.24.06 establishes MHCC's authority to administer the Certificate of Need program, collect data on hospital, long-term care, ambulatory surgery, and freestanding medical facility services, and provide Non-Primary PCI Waivers through the C-PORT E Registry.