Section 30. Plant cost

Article 2. Plant Cost Component

A. This article describes a capital payment methodology that will be phased out for most nursing facilities by SFY 2012. The terms and timing of the transition to a different methodology are described in 12VAC30-90-29. The methodology that will eventually replace this one for most facilities is described in Article 3 (12VAC30-90-35 et seq.) of this subpart.

B. Plant cost shall include actual allowable depreciation, interest, rent or lease payments for buildings and equipment as well as property insurance, property taxes and debt financing costs allowable under Medicare principles of reimbursement or as defined herein.

C. Effective July 1, 2001, to calculate the reimbursement rate, plant cost shall be converted to a per diem amount by dividing plant cost by the greater of actual patient days or the number of patient days. Patient days shall be computed as the required occupancy percentage of the daily licensed bed complement during the applicable cost reporting period. The required occupancy percentage means the ratio of nursing facility total patient days to total potential patient days for all available licensed beds. The required occupancy percentage for dates of service on or before June 30, 2013, shall be 90%, and for dates of service on or after July 1, 2013, the required occupancy percentage shall be 88%. For facilities that also provide specialized care services, see subdivision 9 of 12VAC30-90-264 for special procedures for computing the number of patient days required to meet the occupancy requirement.

D. Costs related to equipment and portions of a building/facility not available for patient care related activities are nonreimbursable plant costs.

Historical Notes

Derived from VR460-03-4.1940:1 Article 1, eff. April 1, 1992; amended, Volume 11, Issue 08, eff. March 1, 1995; Volume 11, Issue 18, eff. July 1, 1995; Volume 12, Issue 16, eff. July 1, 1996; Volume 17, Issue 18, eff. July 1, 2001; Volume 30, Issue 19, eff. June 18, 2014.

Statutory Authority

§ 32.1-325 of the Code of Virginia; 42 USC § 1396 et seq.