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Florida legislature strikes bill eliminating CON process

A bill that would have eliminated the certificate of need law in Florida failed to pass the state legislature, according to the Palm Beach Post.

Under the CON law, hospitals and health systems in the state must justify their decision to expand by demonstrating a communal need for expanded services or specialty practice areas.

Florida is one of 36 states that require health facilities to complete a certificate of need application, according to the report.

Some legislators, including Republican Gov. Rick Scott, advocated for the termination of the CON process because it would lower prices and increase competition in the marketplace. Hospitals and health system officials from facilities across the state, including leaders at Jupiter (Fla.) Medical Center, opposed the bill, arguing deregulation would have the opposite effect.

Jupiter Medical Center officials bought several full-page advertisements and published an open letter to the community stating the market for healthcare in the state is already "hyper-competitive," and expressed concern for patients and the decline in cost, quality and care that would occur if such regulation was passed, according to the report.

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