Two New Hampshire House bills that would have eased the certificate of need process for hospitals have been rewritten by the Senate Health and Human Services Committee to reaffirm the CON process, but only for five years, according to a Concord Monitor report.
The first, passed in March by the House, repealed the CON requirement for all new hospitals and expansions. The second allowed for-profit specialty hospitals to bypass the process, according to the report.
The Senate committee combined the two bills into a single piece of legislation yesterday. The new bill maintains the state's hospital review board but dramatically changes its composition — no hospital officials will be allowed on the board. Officials from state departments and consumers will instead fill the board seats. However, the board's authority would expire in five years to allow for a free market, which the committee members believe will function better "if consumers can shop around for the best prices for medical procedures," according to the report.
The legislation would still allow for-profit specialty hospitals to avoid the CON process, but existing local hospitals that want to build specialty centers would also be exempt. Additionally, any specialty center in the state would be required to open 7 percent of its beds to Medicaid or uninsured patients. Cancer Treatment Centers of America, which is attempting to gain a foothold in the state, does not currently accept Medicaid patients, according to the report.
The first, passed in March by the House, repealed the CON requirement for all new hospitals and expansions. The second allowed for-profit specialty hospitals to bypass the process, according to the report.
The Senate committee combined the two bills into a single piece of legislation yesterday. The new bill maintains the state's hospital review board but dramatically changes its composition — no hospital officials will be allowed on the board. Officials from state departments and consumers will instead fill the board seats. However, the board's authority would expire in five years to allow for a free market, which the committee members believe will function better "if consumers can shop around for the best prices for medical procedures," according to the report.
The legislation would still allow for-profit specialty hospitals to avoid the CON process, but existing local hospitals that want to build specialty centers would also be exempt. Additionally, any specialty center in the state would be required to open 7 percent of its beds to Medicaid or uninsured patients. Cancer Treatment Centers of America, which is attempting to gain a foothold in the state, does not currently accept Medicaid patients, according to the report.
More Articles on New Hampshire Healthcare:
New Hampshire House Votes to Exempt Specialty Hospitals From CON Process
NH House Committee Supports Bill Exempting Specialty Hospitals From CON Process