Health Planning Amendments of 1985

(Measure passed House, amended, roll call #15 (390-3))

Health Planning Amendments of 1985 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to reduce required Health Systems Agency (HSA) staff from five overall and one per 100,000 residents to three overall and one per 300,000 residents.

Directs HSAs to review applications for certificates of need only to the extent authorized by a review system established by a State health planning and development agency.

Removes the 24-month limit on HSA conditional designation.

Eliminates the 12-month probationary limit during which a fully designated HSA may be conditionally designated.

Authorizes HSA redesignation of any entity (presently a terminated HSA cannot be redesignated).

Eliminates the Secretary of Health and Human Services' authority to reduce HSA planning grants.

Eliminates the requirement that a conditionally designated State health planning and development agency ("agency") increase its functions in order to receive full designation.

Eliminates the 12-month probationary limit during which a fully designated agency may be conditionally designated.

Repeals the fund loss penalty for States without a fully designated agency.

Makes agency review of institutional health services discretionary.

Amends the definition of the term "provider of health care" to exclude individuals engaged in issuing any policy or contract of health insurance or hospital or medical service benefits.

Increases the dollar amounts of capital expenditures, annual institutional operating costs, and major medical equipment for purposes of State certificate-of-need program review.

Authorizes FY 1986 appropriations for: (1) HSA planning grants; (2) State health planning and development agencies; and (3) health planning centers.

Repeals title XV (National Health Planning and Development) of the Public Health Service Act, effective October 1, 1986.

States that nothing in this Act shall be construed as superceding the balanced budget provisions set forth in the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974, as amended by the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act).