1. (a) The department will consider a facility as a rural primary care hospital if the department finds that the facility

   1. (1) provides inpatient hospitalization for medical care of acute illness or injury;
   2. (2) has no more than 25 acute care beds;
   3. (3) is located in a rural area of no more than 15,000 residents, based on the most recent calculations of the United States Bureau of Census; and

   4. (4) does not provide all of the following services:

      1. (A) surgical service;
      2. (B) anesthesia service;
      3. (C) perinatal care;

      4. (D) one or more of the following therapies:

         1. (i) speech therapy;
         2. (ii) occupational therapy;
         3. (iii) physical therapy.
2. (b) If the facility provides all of the services described in 7 AAC 12.105(a), the department will consider the facility as a general acute care hospital even though it otherwise might qualify as a rural primary care hospital under this section.

(Eff. 5/4/97, Register 142; am 6/23/2006, Register 178)

Authority: AS 47.32.010, AS 47.32.030