1. Before applying for a certificate of need, the sponsor of a proposed new institutional health service or changed institutional health service shall submit to the department a letter of intent to offer or develop a service requiring a certificate of need. The letter shall be submitted as soon as possible after initiation of the applicant’s planning process, and in any case not less than thirty days before applying for a certificate of need and before substantial expenditures to offer or develop the service are made. The letter shall include a brief description of the proposed new or changed service, its location, and its estimated cost.

Terms Used In Iowa Code 135.65

  • changed institutional health service: means any of the following:
  • Department: means the Iowa department of public health. See Iowa Code 135.61
  • Develop: when used in connection with health services, means to undertake those activities which on their completion will result in the offer of a new institutional health service or the incurring of a financial obligation in relation to the offering of such a service. See Iowa Code 135.61
  • Institutional health service: means any health service furnished in or through institutional health facilities or health maintenance organizations, including mobile health services. See Iowa Code 135.61
  • Offer: when used in connection with health services, means that an institutional health facility, health maintenance organization, health care provider, or group of health care providers holds itself out as capable of providing, or as having the means to provide, specified health services. See Iowa Code 135.61
 2. Upon request of the sponsor of the proposed new or changed service, the department shall make a preliminary review of the letter for the purpose of informing the sponsor of the project of any factors which may appear likely to result in denial of a certificate of need, based on the criteria for evaluation of applications in section 135.64. A comment by the department under this section shall not constitute a final decision.