(a) Only individuals whose needs can be met by the specialty hospital shall be admitted to it. The number admitted shall not exceed the specialty hospital's certified capacity to provide adequate programming.

(b) All admissions to the specialty hospital shall require the prior approval of the commissioner. Request for such prior approval shall be submitted on the forms and in the format acceptable to the commissioner and shall document that all admission criteria and procedures have been met. The commissioner shall process all such requests for prior approval without undue delay.

(c) A specialty hospital shall admit only individuals with developmental disabilities who have a diagnosis of intellectual disability, autism, cerebral palsy, epilepsy or neurological impairment; and who manifest at least one severe deficit in adaptive behavior (see section 680.13 of this Part). Such individual's developmental disability must have originated before the individual's 22nd birthday. In addition, such individuals shall manifest a health care problem which requires more than three hours of daily individualized attention from health care staff (see section 680.13).

(d) Individuals admitted to a specialty hospital shall require simultaneous assessment or treatment for their health care needs and structured programming for their developmental disabilities. A specialty hospital covered under this regulation shall admit only individuals who have had a comprehensive assessment (see section 680.13) within the 90 days prior to admission. This assessment shall have identified both the individual's developmental disability (ies) and health care needs which will require more than three hours of daily individualized attention from health care staff. In addition, there shall be an identification of the specific service(s) required by the individual in terms of type and frequency and a declaration of the service outcomes to be achieved which are congruent with the conditions necessitating admission. A current individual program plan developed by a State developmental center for the individual within the 90 days prior to admission is considered as complying with this requirement. However, prior admission to a developmental center shall not be a requirement for eligibility for a specialty hospital.

(e) The specialty hospital shall admit only those individuals who, due to their medical condition, cannot be placed in a less restrictive environment that is able to provide both medical treatment and active programming, because of their need for the services provided by the specialty hospital.

(f) Individuals with developmental disabilities with an acute health care need(s) (see section 680.13) that prohibits active programming for their developmental disability(ies) shall not be admitted to the specialty hospital.

(g) A correspondent (see section 680.13) shall be identified for each individual prior to admission to the specialty hospital.

(h) Individuals shall be admitted for a maximum stay of six months. One extension of no more than six months may be made at the recommendation of the Utilization Review Committee. Any further extension requires both the recommendation of the Utilization Review Committee and the consent of the commissioner.

(i) At the time of admission, the type of placement and proposed location (if known) shall be identified and documented in the individual's record for preparation for each individual's placement subsequent to leaving the specialty hospital.