(a) General rules.

(1) After a request for a Board hearing is filed under §405.1835 or §405.1837 of this part, the Board must determine in accordance with paragraph (b) of this section, whether or not it has jurisdiction to grant a hearing on each of the specific matters at issue in the hearing request.

(2) The Board must make a preliminary determination of the scope of its jurisdiction (that is, whether the request for hearing was timely, and whether the amount in controversy requirement has been met), if any, over the matters at issue in the appeal before conducting any of the following proceedings:

(i) Determining its authority to decide a legal question relevant to a matter at issue (as described in §405.1842 of this subpart).

(ii) Permitting discovery (as described in §405.1853 of this subpart).

(iii) Issuing a subpoena (as described in §405.1857 of this subpart).

(iv) Conducting a hearing (as described in §405.1845 of this subpart).

(3) The Board may revise a preliminary determination of jurisdiction at any subsequent stage of the proceedings in a Board appeal, and must promptly notify the parties of any revised determination. Under paragraph (c)(1) of this section, each expedited judicial review (EJR) decision (as described in §405.1842 of this subpart) and hearing decision (as described in §405.1871 of this subpart) by the Board must include a jurisdictional finding for each specific matter at issue in the appeal.

(4) If the Board finally determines it lacks jurisdiction over every specific matter at issue in the appeal, the Board must issue a dismissal decision under paragraph (c)(2) of this section.

(5) Final jurisdictional findings and dismissal decisions by the Board under paragraphs (c)(1) and (c)(2) of this section are subject to Administrator and judicial review in accordance with paragraph (d) of this section.

(b) Criteria. Except with respect to the amount in controversy requirement, the jurisdiction of the Board to grant a hearing must be determined separately for each specific matter at issue in each contractor or Secretary determination for each cost reporting period under appeal. The Board has jurisdiction to grant a hearing over a specific matter at issue in an appeal only if the provider has a right to a Board hearing as a single provider appeal under §405.1835 of this subpart or as part of a group appeal under §405.1837 of this subpart, as applicable. Certain matters at issue are removed from jurisdiction of the Board. These matters include, but are not necessarily limited to, the following:

(1) A finding in a contractor determination that expenses incurred for certain items or services furnished by a provider to an individual are not payable under title XVIII of the Act because those items or services are excluded from coverage under section 1862 of the Act and part 411 of the regulations. Review of these findings is limited to the applicable provisions of sections 1155, 1869, and 1879(d) of the Act and of subpart I of part 405 and subpart B of part 478 of the regulations, as applicable.

(2) Certain matters affecting payments to hospitals under the prospective payment system, as provided in section 1886(d)(7) of the Act and §405.1804 of this subpart.

(c) Board's jurisdictional findings and jurisdictional dismissal decisions.

(1) In issuing an EJR decision under §405.1842 of this subpart or a hearing decision under §405.1871 of this subpart, as applicable, the Board must make a separate determination of whether it has jurisdiction for each specific matter at issue in each contractor or Secretary determination under appeal. A decision by the Board must include specific findings of fact and conclusions of law as to whether the Board has jurisdiction to grant a hearing on each matter at issue in the appeal.

(2) Except as provided in §§405.1836(e)(1) and 405.1842(f)(2)(i) of this subpart, where the Board determines it lacks jurisdiction to grant a hearing for every specific matter at issue in an appeal, it must issue a dismissal decision dismissing the appeal for lack of Board jurisdiction. The decision by the Board must include specific findings of fact and conclusions of law explaining the Board's determination that it lacks jurisdiction to grant a hearing on each matter at issue in the appeal. A copy of the Board's decision must be mailed promptly to each party to the appeal (as described in §405.1843 of this subpart).

(3) A dismissal decision by the Board under paragraph (c)(2) of this section is final and binding on the parties unless the decision is reversed, affirmed, modified or remanded by the Administrator under §405.1875(a)(2)(ii) and §405.1875(e) or §405.1875(f) of this subpart, no later than 60 days after the date of receipt by the provider of the Board's decision. The Board decision is inoperative during the 60-day period for review of the decision by the Administrator, or in the event the Administrator reverses, affirms, modifies or remands that decision within that period. A final Board decision under paragraphs (c)(2) and (c)(3) of this section may be reopened and revised by the Board in accordance with §§405.1885 through 405.1889 of this subpart.

(d) Administrator and judicial review. Any finding by the Board as to whether it has jurisdiction to grant a hearing on a specific matter at issue in an appeal is not subject to further administrative and judicial review, except as provided in this paragraph. The Board's jurisdictional findings as to specific matters at issue in an appeal may be reviewed solely during the course of Administrator review of one of the Board decisions specified as final, or deemed to be final by the Administrator, under §405.1875(a)(2) of this subpart, or during the course of judicial review of a final agency decision as described in §405.1877(a) of this subpart, as applicable.

[73 FR 30253, May 23, 2008, as amended at 80 FR 70600, Nov. 13, 2015]