Compliance alternatives for provision of uncompensated services. Final rule.

The rules below revise a compliance alternative applicable to health care facilities with Hill-Burton uncompensated services obligations. The revised compliance alternative provides a more flexible compliance standard for facilities that principally serve nonpaying patient populations by reducing the amount of time needed to qualify for certification under the alternative and by providing for a provisional certification, where a facility is unable to qualify for full certification. The rules below also provide a compliance alternative for obligated facilities with histories of uncompensated services deficits, to enable them to make up the deficits ona timely basis. These revisions have the effect of making it easier for facilities with uncompensated services obligations to meet those obligations, while still ensuring the availability of uncompensated services to persons unable to pay.