1. (a) To operate an inpatient unit at the parent agency, an agency or an applicant for an initial license to provide hospice services must:

   1. (1) notify HHSC of its intent to operate an inpatient unit at the parent agency by:

      1. (A) indicating its intent on an initial or renewal license application submitted to HHSC; or
      2. (B) sending written notice of its intent to HHSC;
   2. (2) send written notice to HHSC that it is ready for a Life Safety Code inspection;
   3. (3) allow HHSC to conduct an on-site Life Safety Code inspection to determine if the inpatient unit is in compliance with §97.871 of this chapter (relating to Physical Environment in a Hospice Inpatient Unit);
   4. (4) obtain verification from HHSC that the inpatient unit is in compliance with Subchapter H, Division 7 of this chapter (relating to Hospice Inpatient Units) before admitting a client to the inpatient unit;
   5. (5) admit and provide hospice services to a client in the inpatient unit; and

   6. (6) except as provided in subsection (c) of this section:

      1. (A) submit the Notification of Readiness for a Health Survey of a Hospice Inpatient Unit (HHSC Form 2020-A) to HHSC after providing services to at least one client in the inpatient unit; and
      2. (B) be determined by HHSC to be in substantial compliance with the statute and this chapter, including Subchapter H of this chapter (relating to Standards Specific to Agencies Licensed to Provide Hospice Services).
2. (b) At the time an agency notifies HHSC in accordance with subsection (a)(1) of this section, the agency must not have enforcement action pending against the license under which the agency would operate the inpatient unit.
3. (c) An agency that provides hospice services is not required to submit the Notification of Readiness for a Health Survey of a Hospice Inpatient Unit (HHSC Form 2020-A) in accordance with subsection (a)(6)(A) of this section if the agency demonstrates that it is exempt from a health survey, as described in §97.503 of this chapter (relating to Exemption From a Survey). The agency may demonstrate that it is exempt from the initial health survey described in §97.521 of this chapter (relating to Requirements for an Initial Survey) by submitting the accreditation documentation from an approved organization to the HHSC designated survey office within seven days after the agency receives the accreditation documentation.
4. (d) An agency operating an inpatient unit at a parent agency must comply with the statute and this chapter, including Subchapter H of this chapter.

Source Note:The provisions of this §558.30 adopted to be effective January 17, 2018, 43 TexReg 238; transferred effective May 1, 2019, as published in the April 12, 2019, issue of the Texas Register, 44 TexReg 1893.