B. General hospital facility of psychiatric hospital

A general hospital facility within a psychiatric hospital may be certified as a general hospital independent of the institution as a whole provided the general facility is a self-contained operational entity distinct from the rest of the institution. The general hospital facility would be regarded as a separate institution for this purpose since the law does not provide for certifying a “distinct part” of an institution as a general hospital. Services furnished in a separately certified general hospital facility are not subject to any of the benefit limitations applicable to the other parts of the institution, i.e., the reduction in benefit days in the first spell of illness in the case of psychiatric hospitals and the 190 day lifetime maximum on inpatient services in the case of psychiatric hospitals.