West Virginia Health Care Authority Issues Draft CON Standards on Cardiac Cath and Cardiac Surgery for Comment

The West Virginia Health Care Authority has published new standards for Cardiac Catheterization Standards and Cardiac Surgery Standards under the State Health Plan. The notice on the West Virginia Health Care Authority's website shows that providers in West Virginia have a 30 day public comment period that ends on April 8, 2005 to comment on the draft standards.

The current Cardiac Catheterization Standards were approved by the Governor of West Virginia on August 22, 2002. The current Cardiac Surgery Standards were approved by the Governor of West Virginia on May 5, 2004.

For those unfamiliar with the Certificate of Need (CON) process, West Virginia has a statutorily mandated CON review process which requires health care provider projects, new services, etc. to obtain CON approval prior to starting the project or new service. The CON review process typical includes the determination of need, consistency with the State Health Plan, and financial feasibility. Need for the project is determined using CON Standards, which generally include population-based quantifiable need methodologies. Financial feasibility includes the evaluation of the reasonableness of proposed charges to patients and the determination as to whether the expense and revenue projections demonstrate fiscal viability for the proposed project. Other review criteria include quality, accessibility, and continuum of care.