A migrant health center supported under this subpart must:
(a) Provide the health services of the center so that such services are available and accessible promptly, as appropriate, and in a manner which will assure continuity of service to the migratory and seasonal agricultural workers and their families within the center's catchment area.
(b) Implement a system for maintaining the confidentiality of patient records in accordance with the requirements of § 56.111 of subpart A of this part.
(c) Have an ongoing quality assurance program which provides for the following:
(1) Organizational arrangements, including a focus of responsibility, to support the quality assurance program and the provision of high quality patient care;
(2) Periodic assessment of the appropriateness of the utilization of services and the quality of services provided or proposed to be provided by the center, and by other providers through contract or other cooperative arrangement with the center. Such assessments must:
(i) Be conducted by physicians or by other appropriate health professionals under the supervision of physicians or, as appropriate, by health professionals who are peers of the health professionals who provided the services;
(ii) Be based on the systematic collection and evaluation of patient records; and
(iii) Identify and document the necessity for change in the provision of services by the center and result in the institution of such change, where indicated.
(d) Develop management and control systems which are in accordance with sound financial management procedures, including the provision for an audit (1) conducted in accordance with the “Guide for Audits of Migrant Health Grants” of the DHHS Audit Agency, and (2) conducted with reasonable frequency, usually annually but not less frequently than every two years (unless waived for cause by the Secretary), to be made by qualified individuals who are sufficiently independent of those who authorize the expenditure of Federal funds to produce unbiased opinions, conclusions, or judgments, and to determine, at a minimum, the fiscal integrity of grant financial transactions and reports, and compliance with the applicable regulations of this part and the terms and conditions of the grant.
(e) Where the cost of care and services furnished by or through the center is to be reimbursed under title XIX or title XX of the Social Security Act, obtain or make every reasonable effort to obtain a written agreement with the title XIX or title XX State agency for such reimbursement.
(f) Have prepared a schedule of fees or payments for the provision of its services designed to cover its reasonable costs of operation and a corresponding schedule of discounts adjusted on the basis of the patient's ability to pay. The schedule of discounts must provide for a full discount to individuals and families with annual incomes at or below those set forth in the poverty guidelines updated periodically in the Federal Register by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under the authority of 42 U.S.C. 9902(2); (except that nominal fees for service may be collected from such individuals and families) and for no discount to individuals and families with annual incomes greater than twice those set forth in such Guidelines.
(g) Make every reasonable effort, including the establishment of systems for eligibility determination, billing, and collection, to
(1) Collect reimbursement for its costs in providing health services to persons who are entitled to insurance benefits under title XVIII of the Social Security Act, to medical assistance under a State plan approved under title XIX of such Act, to social services and family planning under title XX of such Act, or to assistance for medical expenses under any other public assistance program, grant program, or private health insurance or benefit program on the basis of the schedule of fees prepared pursuant to paragraph (f) of this section without application of any discounts, and
(2) Secure from patients payments for services in accordance with the schedule of fees and discounts required by paragraph (f) of this section.
(h) Have a governing board which meets the requirements of § 56.304.
(i) Have developed an overall plan and budget for the center that:
(1) Provides for an annual operating budget and a three-year financial management plan which includes all anticipated income and expenses related to items which would, under generally accepted accounting principles, be considered income and expense items;
(2) Provides for a capital expenditure plan for at least a three-year period (including the year to which the operating budget described in paragraph (h)(i)(1) is applicable) which includes and identifies in detail the anticipated sources of financing for, and the objective of, each anticipated expenditure in excess of $100,000 related to the acquisition of land, the improvement of land, buildings, and equipment and the replacement, modernization and expansion of buildings and equipment which would, under generally accepted accounting principles, be considered capital items;
(3) Provides for plan review and updating at least annually; and
(4) Is prepared under the direction of the governing board by a committee consisting of representatives of the governing board, the administrative staff, and the medical staff, if any, of the center.
(j) Establish basic statistical data, cost accounting, management information, and reporting or monitoring systems which will enable the center to provide such statistics and other information as the Secretary may reasonably require relating to the center's costs of operation, patterns of utilization of services, and the availability, accessibility, and acceptability of its services, and to make such reports to the Secretary in a timely manner with such frequency as the Secretary may reasonably require.
(k) Review its catchment area annually to insure that the criteria set out in § 56.104(b)(2) are met and, if criteria are not met, revise its catchment area, with the approval of the Secretary, to conform with such criteria to the extent feasible.
(l) In the case of a center which serves a population including a substantial proportion of individuals of limited English-speaking ability, have developed a plan and made arrangements responsive to the needs of such populations for providing services to the extent practicable in the language and cultural context most appropriate to such individuals, and have identified an individual on its staff who is fluent in both that language and in English and whose responsibilities include providing guidance to such individuals and to appropriate staff members with respect to cultural sensitivities and bridging linguistic and cultural differences. If more than one non-English language is spoken by such group or groups, an individual or individuals fluent in those languages and English must be so identified.
(m) Be operated in a manner calculated to preserve human dignity and to maximize acceptability and effective utilization of services.
(n) To the extent possible, coordinate and integrate project activities with the activities of other federally funded, as well as State and local, health services delivery projects and programs serving the same population.
(o) Establish means for evaluating progress toward the achievement of the specific objectives of the project.
(p) Provide sufficient staff, qualified by training and experience, to carry out the activities of the center.
(q) Assure that facilities utilized in the performance of the project meet applicable fire and life safety codes.
(r) Utilize, to the maximum extent feasible, other Federal, State and local, and private resources available for support of the project, prior to use of project funds under this part.
(s) Provide for community participation through, for example, contributions of cash or services, loans of full- or part-time staff, equipment, space, materials, or facilities.
(t) Where the center will provide services through contract or other cooperative arrangements with other providers of services, the center must:
(1) Enter into the contract or arrangement only if the provider of services will provide the services in a timely manner and make the services accessible and acceptable to the population to be served;
(2) Make payment for services so provided only pursuant to agreements with the providers in accordance with a schedule of rates and payment procedures established and maintained by the center. The center must be prepared to substantiate that such rates are reasonable and necessary;
(3) Directly provide at least primary care unless the center has made arrangements for the provision of primary care which include transfer of all medical and financial information relating to such care to the center; and
(4) Enter into contracts or arrangements for the provision of primary health services only if alternative resources are reasonably available to provide these services in the event of termination of such arrangements.
(u) Operate in a manner such that no migratory or seasonal agricultural worker or member of their family will be denied service by reason of his or her inability to pay therefor. Provided, however, That a charge for the provision of services will be made to the extent that a third party (including a Government agency) is authorized or is under legal obligation to pay such charges.
[42 FR 60406, Nov. 25, 1977, as amended at 85 FR 72908, Nov. 16, 2020]
The governing board of the center must meet the following requirements:
(a) Size. The board must consist of at least 9 but not more than 25 members except that this provision may be waived by the Secretary for good cause shown.
(b) Composition. (1) A majority of the board members must be migratory and seasonal agricultural workers and members of their families who are or will be served by the center and who, as a group, represent the individuals being or to be served in terms of demographic factors, such as race, ethnicity, and sex.
(2) No more than two-thirds of the remaining members of the board may be individuals who derive more than 10 percent of their annual income from the health care industry.
(3) The remaining members of the board must be representatives of the community in which the center's catchment area is located and shall be selected for their expertise in relevant subject areas, such as community affairs, local government, finance and banking, legal affairs, trade unions, and other commercial and industrial concerns, or social services within the community.
(4) No member of the board shall be an employee of the center, or spouse or child, parent, brother or sister by blood of marriage of such an employee. The project director may be a nonvoting, ex-officio member of the board.
(c) Selection of members. The method of selection must be prescribed in the by-laws or other internal governing rules of the center. Such by-laws or other rules must specify a process of selection of individuals on the governing board who represent the population served or to be served by the center so that such individuals, as a group, are representative of such population. Such process of selection in the by-laws or other rules is subject to approval by the Secretary.
(d) Functions and responsibilities. (1) The governing board shall have authority for the establishment of policy in the conduct of the center.
(2) The governing board shall hold regularly scheduled meetings, at least once each month, except for periods of the year, as specified in the bylaws, during which monthly meetings are not practical due to migration out of the catchment area.
(3) Minutes must be kept for all regularly scheduled meetings of the board.
(4) The governing board shall have specific responsibility for:
(i) Approval of the selection and dismissal of the project director or chief executive officer of the center;
(ii) Establishing personnel policies and procedures, including selection and dismissal procedures, salary and benefit scales;
(iii) The development of bylaws which specify the responsibility of the board and principal operating officials of the centers;
(iv) Adopting policy for financial management practices, including a system to assure accountability for center resources, approval of the annual project budget, center priorities, eligibility for services, including criteria for partial payment schedules, and long-range financial planning;
(v) Evaluating center activities, including services utilization patterns, productivity of the center, patient satisfaction, achievement of project objectives, and development of a process for hearing and resolving patient grievances;
(vi) Assuring that the center is operated in compliance with applicable Federal, State, and local laws and regulations; and
(vii) Adopting health care policies including scope and availability of services, location and hours of services, and quality assurance procedures.
(a) Within the limits of funds determined by the Secretary to be available for such purpose, the Secretary may award grants under this subpart to applicants therefor which, in his judgment, will provide needed health services in a catchment area which will not be served by another project funded under this part and meet the applicable requirements of section 319(d)(1)(A) of the Act and this part, in accordance with priorities established pursuant to section 319(b) of the Act and § 56.107 of subpart A of this part: Provided, That in the case of applicants which propose to serve substantially the same catchment area or where available funds are insufficient to fund all approvable applications within a priority category specified in § 56.107, the Secretary will award grants to the applicants which, in his judgment, will best promote the purpose of section 319(d)(1)(A) of the Act and the applicable regulations of this part, taking into account with respect to each application:
(1) The extent to which the project would provide for the elements set forth in § 56.303;
(2) The capability of the applicant to provide quality health care services;
(3) The soundness of the financial management plan for assuring effective utilization of grant funds and maximizing non-grant revenue;
(4) The administrative and management capability of the applicant;
(5) The capability of the applicant to provide primary health services directly. In evaluating the relative capability of the applicant to provide such services directly, the Secretary shall take into consideration whether the direct provision of such services is inappropriate because:
(i) Provision of such services through contract or other arrangement would be more cost-effective;
(ii) Provision of such services directly would unnecessarily duplicate existing resources; or
(iii) Provision of such services other than directly would enhance the accessibility or acceptability of such services to the population to be served.
(6) The degree to which the applicant intends to integrate services supported by a grant under this part with health services provided under other federally assisted health services or reimbursement programs or projects;
(7) The extent that community resources will be utilized by the project; and
(8) Consistent with the other requirements of this part, the degree to which and the manner in which the applicant provides specific health services which the Secretary has, through publication of a notice in the Federal Register, established as services which should receive emphasis by applicants.