Pa. Legislators Attempt To Limit Number Of Health Care Facilities

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Some Pennsylvania legislators are proposing the renewal of the pre-1996 “certificate of need” process in which new health care facilities need to obtain state approval in order to be built, The Harrisburg (Pa.) Patriot-News reported.

The push to reinstate the CON process is in response to the overwhelming increase in healthcare facilities such as outpatient surgery centers and MRI facilities, a state representative told the publication.

Many oppose the bill including the Hospital & Health System Association of Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Medical Society who argued that “the old CON process politicized facility approval, and did little to hold down costs, a free market does the best job of ensuring health care facilities are needed,” The Harrisburg (Pa.) Patriot-News reported.

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Source: The Harrisburg (Pa.) Patriot-News