North Carolina Legislators Attempt to Streamline CON Process

Tags: Certificate of Need | CON | Dosher Memorial Hospital | health care cost | John Torbett

North Carolina legislators are considering revising the certificate of need process healthcare organizations must face when looking to expand or renovate, according to a Daily Tar Heel report.

An N.C. House committee is discussing how to streamline the process for approving hospital construction and has heard hospital officials' testimony on the CON requirement.

Rep. John Torbett (R-Gaston), a chairman of the N.C. House committee, said the application process for a CON is too costly and slow, according to the report. Dosher Memorial Hospital in Southport, N.C., for example, spent more than $100,000 on paperwork when it sought approval of a renovation project. In addition, an appeal of a CON decision could take years.

The N.C. General Assembly has not yet reached a consensus on how to remedy the process, however. Some supporters of the CON law say it prevents high healthcare costs and ensures equal access to healthcare in rural and urban communities. Opponents say limiting free competition cannot keep costs down.

The committee will release an initial report with legislative recommendations in May. A more comprehensive report will be released in 2013, according to the report.

Related Articles on Certificates of Need:

Centegra, Mercy Health Appeal Review Board's CON Denial
North Carolina Denies CON Requests by Two Health Systems
Alabama Appeals Court Rules in Favor of Trinity Medical Center in Battle for CON

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