(a) How to apply for recognition. To apply for recognition of a home for purposes of receiving per diem from VA, a State must submit a letter requesting recognition to the Office of Geriatrics and Extended Care in VA Central Office, 810 Vermont Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20420. The letter must be signed by the State official authorized to make the request. The letter will be reviewed by VA, in accordance with this section.

(b) Survey and recommendation by Director. (1) After receipt of a letter requesting recognition, VA will survey the home in accordance with § 51.31 to determine whether the facility and program of care meet the applicable requirements of subpart C and the applicable standards in subpart D, E, or F of this part. For purposes of the recognition process including the survey, references to State homes in the standards apply to homes that are being considered by VA for recognition as State homes.

(2) If the Director of the VA Medical Center of jurisdiction determines that the applicable requirements and standards are met, the Director will submit a written recommendation for recognition to the Under Secretary for Health.

(3) If the Director does not recommend recognition, the Director will submit a written recommendation against recognition to the Under Secretary for Health and will notify in writing the State official who signed the letter submitted under paragraph (a) of this section and the State official authorized to oversee operations of the home. The notification will state the following:

(i) The specific standard(s) not met; and

(ii) The State's right to submit a response to the Under Secretary for Health, including any additional evidence, no later than 30 calendar days after the date of the notification to the State.

(c) Decision by the Under Secretary for Health. After receipt of a recommendation from the Director, and allowing 30 calendar days for the state to respond to a negative recommendation and to submit evidence, the Under Secretary for Health will award or deny recognition based on all available evidence. The applicant will be notified of the decision in writing. Adverse decisions may be appealed to the Board of Veterans' Appeals (see 38 CFR part 20).

(d) Effect of recognition. (1) Recognition of a State home means that, at the time of recognition, the facility and its program of care meet the applicable requirements of this part. The State home must obtain certification after recognition in accordance with § 51.30.

(2) After a State home is recognized, any new annex, new branch, or other expansion in the size or capacity of a home or any relocation of the home to a new facility must be separately recognized.

(a) General certification requirement. To be certified, the State home must allow VA to survey the home in accordance with § 51.31. A State home must be certified no later than 450 calendar days after the State home is recognized. Certifications expire 600 calendar days after the date of their issuance.

(b) Periodic certifications required. The Director of the VA medical center of jurisdiction will certify a State home based on a survey conducted at least once every 270-450 calendar days, at VA's discretion, and will notify the State official authorized to oversee operations of the State home of the decision regarding certification.

(c) Decreasing capacity for a program of care. The State must report any decreases in the capacity for a particular program of care to the Office of Geriatrics and Extended Care in VA Central Office, 810 Vermont Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20420 no later than 30 calendar days after such decrease, and must provide an explanation for the decrease.

(d) Provisional certification—(1) When issuance is required. After a VA survey, the Director must issue a provisional certification for the surveyed State home if the Director determines that all of the following are true:

(i) The State home does not meet one or more of the applicable requirements or standards in this part;

(ii) None of these deficiencies immediately jeopardize the health or safety of any resident or participant;

(iii) No later than 20 working days after receipt by the State home of the survey report, the State submitted to the Director a written plan to remedy each deficiency in a specified amount of time; and

(iv) The plan is reasonable and the Director has sent a written notice to the appropriate person(s) at the State home informing him or her that the Director agrees to the plan.

(2) Surveys to continue while under provisional certification. VA will continue to survey the State home while it is under a provisional certification in accordance with this section and § 51.31. After such a survey, the Director will continue the provisional certification if the Director determines that the four criteria listed in paragraphs (c)(1)(i)-(iv) of this section are true.

(e) Notice and the right to appeal a denial of certification. A State home has the right to appeal when the Director determines that a State home does not meet the requirements of this part (i.e., denies certification). An appeal is not provided to a State for a State home that receives a provisional certification because, by providing the corrective action plan necessary to receive a provisional certification, a State demonstrates its acceptance of VA's determination that it does not meet the VA standards for which the corrective action plan was submitted.

(1) Notice of decision denying certification. The Director will issue in writing a decision denying certification that sets forth the specific standard(s) not met. The Director will send a copy of this decision to the State official authorized to oversee operations of the State home, and notify that official of the State's right to submit a written appeal to the Under Secretary for Health as stated in paragraph (e)(2) of this section. If the State home does not submit a timely written appeal, the Director's decision becomes final and VA will not pay per diem for any care provided on or after the 31st day after the State's receipt of the Director's decision.

(2) Appeal of denial of certification. The State must submit a written appeal no later than 30 calendar days after the date of the notice of the denial of certification. The appeal must explain why the denial of certification is inaccurate or incomplete and provide any relevant information not considered by the Director. Any appeal that does not identify a reason for disagreement will be returned to the sender without further consideration. If the State home submits a timely written appeal, the Director's decision will not take effect and VA will continue to pay per diem to the State home pending a decision by the Under Secretary for Health.

(3) Decision on appeal of a denial of certification. The Under Secretary for Health will review the matter, including any relevant supporting documentation, and issue a written decision that affirms or reverses the Director's decision. The State will be notified of the decision, which may be appealed to the Board of Veterans' Appeals (see 38 CFR part 20) if it results in a loss of per diem payments to the State. VA will terminate recognition and certification and discontinue per diem payments for care provided on and after the date of the Under Secretary for Health's decision affirming a denial of certification or on a later date that must be specified by the Under Secretary for Health.

(f) Other appeals. Appeals of matters not addressed in this section will be governed by 38 CFR part 20.

(a) General. Both before and after a home is recognized and certified, VA may survey the home as necessary to determine whether it complies with applicable regulations. VA will provide advance notice before a recognition survey, but advance notice is not required before other surveys. A survey, as necessary, may cover all parts of the home or only certain parts, and may include review, audit, and production of any records that have a bearing on compliance with the requirements of this part (including any reports from state or local entities), as well as the completion and submission to VA of all required forms. The Director will designate the VA officials and/or contractors to survey the home.

(b) Recognition surveys. VA will not conduct a recognition survey unless the following minimum requirements are met:

(1) For nursing homes and domiciliaries, the home has at least 20 residents or has a number of residents consisting of at least 50 percent of the resident capacity of the home;

(2) For adult day health care programs of care, the program has at least 10 participants or has a number of participants consisting of at least 50 percent of participant capacity of the program.

(c) Threats to public, resident, or participant safety. If VA identifies a condition at the home that poses an immediate threat to public, resident or participant safety, or other information indicating the existence of such a threat, the Director of the VA medical center of jurisdiction will immediately report this to the VA Network Director (10N1-22); the Office of Geriatrics and Extended Care in VA Central Office; and the State official authorized to oversee operations of the home.

Once a home has achieved recognition, the recognition will be terminated only if the State requests that the recognition be terminated, or if VA makes a final decision that affirms the Director's decision not to certify the State home.