Repeal Certificate of Need
Certificate of Need (CON) laws require doctors and hospitals to get special permission from the state to open or expand their facilities, service lines, and sometimes even renew their leases. These laws also allow incumbent health systems to protest the entry of new medical facilities and technologies.
This is especially harmful to rural communities and so-called “healthcare deserts” where accessing quality care is challenging, at best. Yet, 38 states and Washington, D.C., have CON laws in place.
THE SOLUTION
In 1987, a bipartisan Congress repealed the federal CON mandate, giving states the ability to repeal their own CON laws. Now, leaders in the states need to take action to do it.
WHY IT MATTERS
THE BOTTOM LINE:
Eliminating CON laws would immediately open new doors to doctors and medical facilities for patients who need them most—especially pregnant women, those with specialized medical needs, and the elderly.
To assess the CON laws in your state, visit: ciceroinstitute.org/research/ranking-certificate-of-need-laws-in-all-50-states/
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