2. a. A hospice care program shall not operate in this State unless it possesses a valid license issued by the Department of Health and Senior Services pursuant to this act.
No public agency or private organization shall assume, represent itself as or use the word “hospice” or any modification or derivative thereof, unless the agency or organization is licensed pursuant to this act.

b. Application for a license for a hospice care program shall be made upon forms prescribed by the department. The department shall charge such nonrefundable fees for the filing of an application for a license and any renewal thereof, as it shall from time to time fix in regulations, except the amount of this fee shall not exceed $2,000. The application shall contain the name of the hospice care program and such other information as the department may require.

c. The department shall only issue a license to a hospice care program that provides written documentation that it is certified for participation in the federal Medicare program established pursuant to the federal Social Security Act, Pub. L. 89-97 (42 U.S.C. § 1395 et seq.).

d. A nursing home licensed pursuant to the “Health Care Facilities Planning Act,” P.L.1971, c.136 (C. 26:2H-1 et al.) that does not hold itself out to be a hospice, does not hold itself out as providing a hospice care program, does not use the term hospice to describe or refer to its activities or facilities, and does not provide all of the services enumerated in section 1 of this act is not subject to the licensing provisions of this act.

e. A hospice care program licensed pursuant to this act shall not be subject to the certificate of need requirements of P.L.1971, c.136 (C. 26:2H-1 et al.).

L.1997,c.78,s.2.