(1) Any person proposing an activity other than those to which (3) and (4) below apply and that is subject to review under 50-5-301 , MCA, and not exempt under 50-5-309 , MCA, shall submit to the department a letter of intent that contains the following:

(a) name of applicant;

(b) proposal title;

(c) a detailed statement outlining whether the proposal involves:

(i) the addition of a new service, and, if so, an estimate of the annual operating and amortization expenses required to provide it;

(ii) the construction, development, or other establishment of a health care facility that did not previously exist or is being replaced;

(iii) the construction, remodeling, renovation, or replacement of a health care facility requiring a capital expenditure of more than $1,500,000;

(iv) a change in bed capacity through an increase in the number of beds or a relocation of beds from one facility or site to another;

(v) the expansion of a geographic service area of a home health agency;

(vi) the use of hospital beds to provide nursing or intermediate developmental disability care and, if so, the number of beds involved; or

(vii) other (explain) ;

(d) a narrative summary of the proposal;

(e) an itemized estimate of proposed capital expenditures, including a list of proposed major medical equipment with a description of each and the cost of the construction of any building, including remodeling, necessary to house it;

(f) anticipated methods and terms of financing the proposal;

(g) effects of the proposal on the cost of patient care in the service area affected;

(h) projected dates for commencement and completion of the proposal;

(i) the proposed geographic area to be served;

(j) an itemized estimate of increases in annual operating and/or amortization expenses resulting from new health services;

(k) the location of the proposed project, including its street address;

(l) if the person desires comparative review of their proposal with that of another applicant, the name of the other applicant;

(m) the name of the person to contact for further information, including city, state, zip code and telephone number; and

(n) the dated signature of an authorized representative of the applicant.

(2) For letters of intent submitted under (1) of this rule, in determining whether or not a capital expenditure for equipment is over $750,000, the department will review the list submitted by the applicant pursuant to (1) (e) of this rule and will include in the cost calculation the cost of any support equipment necessary to the proper function of the item of major medical equipment in question.

(3) Any person or persons desiring to acquire or enter into a contract to acquire 50% or more of an existing health care facility (whether through a single transaction or by adding to a portion already owned) must submit to the department a written letter noting intent to acquire the facility and containing the following:

(a) the services currently provided by the health care facility and the present and proposed bed capacity of the facility;

(b) any additions, deletions, or changes in such services which will result from the acquisition; and

(c) the projected cost of care at the facility compared to the cost under the current ownership, as well as any other factors which may cause an increase in the cost of care.

(4) Any person proposing to increase or relocate from one facility or site to another no more than 10 beds or 10% of the licensed beds must submit to the department a letter of intent containing the following as one of the conditions that 50-5-301 (1) (b) , MCA, requires to be met in order to be exempt from certificate of need review for the change:

(a) the licensed capacity of the facility, the number of beds to be added or relocated, and in the latter case, the facilities or sites in question; and

(b) the cost of the addition or relocation and its likely effect on the cost of patient care.

(5) As required by 50-5-302 (2) , MCA, persons who acquire health care facilities but who do not file the notice of intent required by (3) of this rule are subject to certificate of need review for the purposes of this subchapter.